SFD.074 Facilities and Apparatus Security PDF

# Fire Department / Harris County ESD No. 7 ## Standard Operating Procedures - Facilities and Apparatus Security ### Revision 0 #### Issue Date: 28 Jun. 2024 #### Effective Date: 28 Jun. 2024 #### Review Date: 1 Jul. 2025 **Approved by:** Scott C. Seifert **Reviewed by:** Support Services ## Fac...

# Fire Department / Harris County ESD No. 7 ## Standard Operating Procedures - Facilities and Apparatus Security ### Revision 0 #### Issue Date: 28 Jun. 2024 #### Effective Date: 28 Jun. 2024 #### Review Date: 1 Jul. 2025 **Approved by:** Scott C. Seifert **Reviewed by:** Support Services ## Facilities and Apparatus Security ### 1. Executive Summary - Visitors must be accompanied and restricted to designated areas. - Public access must be confined to a public area that does not contain confidential or personal information. - All doors and storage rooms must be locked and secured when unattended. - Public parking areas are located in unsecured areas on district property and should be used for short-term parking only. - Secured parking areas are located within gated areas and should be used by authorized personnel only. - Gates must be closed and locked when not monitored. - Parking permission should be obtained from the Chief of Support Services or designee. - The district may place security cameras in all common areas of the facilities. - Apparatus must be kept within sight of the crew and secured when unattended. - All district-owned vehicles must be locked and secured when not in use. - Any breach in security must be reported through the chain of command and to local law enforcement if criminal activity is involved or suspected. - Members should be vigilant about any suspicious activity around district facilities and report it through the chain of command or to law enforcement if necessary. ### 2. Purpose The purpose of this guideline is to establish physical security of district facilities and apparatus. The safety and security of district members is the primary purpose of this guideline. ### 3. Policy Statement It is the policy of Harris County ESD 7 and Spring Fire Department to provide physical security measures for all facilities and apparatus under district control. Members should be mindful of their responsibility to protect themselves and district assets from any potential physical threats. ### 4. Scope This guideline applies to all members, visitors, or other individuals within SFD facilities. ### 5. Definitions See Glossary. ### 6. Procedures and Responsibilities * **Facilities - Administration and Other Public Access Areas** - Public access facilities should only be accessible to the public during published business hours and only when sufficient staffing is available to monitor the movement of visitors and restrict access to areas containing confidential or sensitive information. Any facility allowing access to the public should have a designated area and some method of limiting public access to controlled areas. - A visitor control process should be implemented at each facility that allows public access. Visitors should always be accompanied while inside the controlled areas of the facility and monitored throughout the visit. * **Facilities - Fire Stations** - Fire stations are considered secure facilities with limited public access. Public access to a fire station should only be permitted into the designated public access area, which should be kept free of confidential records, reports, or other protected materials. - A member should accompany any visitor entering the controlled areas of the fire station. All visitors should be monitored throughout their stay. The public should not be allowed access to members' sleeping quarters or to any area where members have private lockers or storage of personal belongings. - All fire station exterior doors and doors leading to secured areas should be equipped with self-closing and self-locking doors. All exterior doors should be kept closed and locked at all times, including bay doors, unless a member is present to prevent unauthorized access. All points of access should be closed and locked anytime no members are present. All exterior storage rooms, lockers, or other facilities should be monitored. - Apparatus bay doors should remain closed when the station is not occupied, or the apparatus bay area is not occupied. - Doors with electronic locks or doors leading to secured areas should not be propped open. - Access to fire stations will not be given to any non-members of the district without permission from an executive chief officer. * **Facilities - Gates and Parking** - Public parking areas are located in unsecured areas on district property. This parking area should be made available for short-term parking for the public conducting business with the district. Long-term parking or overnight parking is prohibited unless approved by the Chief of Support Services or designee. - Secured parking areas are located within the gated areas of each district property. This parking area should be made available to members while on shift or conducting business for the district. Long-term parking or overnight parking not related to shift work or department business is prohibited unless approved by the Chief of Support Services or designee. - In the event a parking shortage occurs in the public area, the officer assigned to the facility may elect to open the gates to provide additional parking within the secured area. If this occurs, a member should be present to monitor while gates are unsecured. - Any person who is not an active member of the district and is not conducting business with the district will not be permitted to park on the property, short-term or long-term, without the permission of the Chief of Support Services or designee. For example, an outside agency requesting to park vehicles on the property while they are not working requires approval. - All gates are frequently updated with gate codes for use when an ID badge or EZ tag is not available. Anytime an employee leaves the organization, the gate code will be updated to prevent unauthorized access. Gate codes are for members of the district only and will not be given to outside people without permission from the Chief of Support Services or designee. - Only marked district-owned vehicles have authorization to park in front or behind any bay door of any facility. Blocking of bays with front-line apparatus should be avoided unless the reason is business related. Anytime a vehicle is parked behind or in front of a bay door, the occupant should be nearby to move in case a need arises. Blocking a bay door should not affect the operations of the district. * **Facilities - Cameras** - The district at their discretion will place security cameras in all common areas. * **Apparatus / Equipment** - Whenever possible, apparatus will be kept within direct line-of-sight of the crew. Do not unnecessarily leave any apparatus unattended or unsecured. All district-owned vehicles equipped with traditional keys and door locks will be secured at all times while unattended. If a larger apparatus is equipped with automatic door locks with a key fob, the apparatus may be left unattended if all compartments can be securely locked. ### 7. Breach of Security - All members are responsible for assisting in maintaining the security of district-owned assets. - Any breach in security should be reported as soon as practicable through the chain of command. - Any criminal activity that occurs or poses a threat to district members or assets should be immediately reported to local law enforcement. If warranted by conditions or circumstances, all on-duty members should be notified of the incident and any recommended precautions as soon as possible. Other members of the district should be notified of the incident as soon as practicable, given the totality of the circumstances. ### 8. Suspicious Activity - Members should be vigilant about any suspicious activity occurring in or around district facilities and should report any such activity, through the chain of command. In some circumstances, it may be necessary to immediately contact law enforcement to investigate a suspicious activity or circumstance. Suspicious activity may include but is not limited to: - Anyone loitering in the vicinity of the facility for an extended period of time. - Unknown individuals who appear to be monitoring the activities taking place at the facility. - Anyone attempting to gain access or requesting access to district facilities without proper authorization. - Any abandoned packages or other items left on district grounds or adjacent to district facilities. - Any unknown or abandoned vehicles left on district grounds or adjacent to district facilities. ### 9. References & Related Policies This section provides references to applicable laws, standards, or other related internal policies or guidelines. ## NFPA - Applicable State or Federal Statutes ## TCFP - CPSE PI ## Other: ## 10. Contact Office The appropriate contact office for questions or comments on this SOG is: - Company Officer - District Chief - Deputy Chief of Support Services - Assistant Chief - Fire Chief ## 11. List of Changes | Revision No. | Description of Changes | Approve by | Effective Date | |---|---|---|---| ## 12. Errors See something wrong? Click here or use this QR code to submit an error or inconsistency. This policy is for internal use only and does not enlarge a member’s legal duty or civil liability in any way. This policy should not be construed as creating a duty to act or a higher duty of care, with respect to third-party civil claims against members or the department. A violation of this policy, if proven, can only form the basis of a complaint by this department for non-judicial administrative action in accordance with the laws governing member discipline.