Fire Station Personnel Rules and Regulations PDF

Chapter IV Rules And Regulations Governing Fire Station Personnel GENERAL FIRE STATION RULES 400.00 Members of the Division shall not maintain permanent living quarters in any fire station or other Division property. 400.02 Members shall allow no property, except that of the Division or the City...

Chapter IV Rules And Regulations Governing Fire Station Personnel GENERAL FIRE STATION RULES 400.00 Members of the Division shall not maintain permanent living quarters in any fire station or other Division property. 400.02 Members shall allow no property, except that of the Division or the City of Columbus, to remain in or around the fire stations except by permission of the Chief or Administration Officer. Responsibility for the personal property of any Division members, either individually or collectively, remains solely that of the members involved. The granting of permission to bring personal property onto Division premises shall not be construed as meaning that the Division of Fire or City of Columbus assumes or accepts liability for any such personal property. (Revised 12/31/15) 400.03 Members shall not be permitted to enter or remain in any fire station or other Division facility while under suspension. 400.04 Members shall not permanently attach any device or instrument, whether electrical, mechanical or otherwise, to any of the electrical circuits, buildings, apparatus, or any other property of the Division without first receiving proper authority and investigating the advisability of such attachment. (Revised 12/31/15) 400.06 Members shall not normally be permitted to place private automobiles or other motor vehicles on the apparatus floor or other areas within fire stations under normal conditions and without permission from the Company Commander. (Revised 12/31/15) 400.07 Members shall not be permitted to park their private vehicles on fire station ramps, or within six feet (6') of access lane to the ramp, or other areas not designated as parking spaces, except when necessary for changing of shifts. Vehicles that are parked in these areas during the change of shifts shall be moved to proper parking places within 1/2 hour following roll call. Private vehicles may be parked on ramps on a temporary basis while conducting Fire Division business at the fire station, as long as the driver remains readily available to remove vehicle if the need arises. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter IV Rules And Regulations Governing Fire Station Personnel 400.08 Members shall not be permitted to make major repairs on private vehicles in or around fire stations. 400.10 Members shall not park vehicles having signs or letter advertising any private concern or business with which a member may or may not be associated on station property or areas adjacent to stations or other Division offices. 400.12 All members shall be thoroughly familiar with the name, location and proper use of all tools and equipment assigned to the apparatus in their stations. They shall attempt to become familiar with the location and use of any specialized apparatus and tools in their respective battalions. This knowledge can be gained through cooperative training sessions with the other companies involved, consulting their battalion chiefs or their training captain where inter-battalion coordination is required. 400.14 Members shall not under any circumstances lend, sell or give away any public property of the Division of Fire or City of Columbus. The Chief or an officer authorized by him/her may lend Division equipment to public utilities or other city departments. 400.16 Members shall maintain a business-like atmosphere in areas of the station where the public is likely to be met. In all other areas of the station, noise and boisterous conduct shall be kept within reasonable limits. 400.18 Members shall not occupy the beds in the fire station dormitories between the hours of 0700 hours and 2000 hours unless permission to do so has been granted by their company commanders. 400.19 Beds SHALL NOT be occupied at any time unless the individual’s linen (two sheets and one pillow case) is properly in place on the bed. 400.20 Members shall not sleep or recline in a position that would indicate sleeping in any location in the fire station other than the dormitory except that the watchperson may sleep in the watch area after 2200 hours. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter IV Rules And Regulations Governing Fire Station Personnel 400.22 Members shall be considerate of each other's rights at all times and shall not unnecessarily disturb members sleeping in the dormitory. 400.24 Members shall immediately notify the fire alarm office whenever an alarm of fire or other emergency is received by messenger relating any particulars that they may have regarding such alarm. They shall then be governed by the instructions received from the fire alarm office. 400.26 Members shall notify the fire alarm office whenever Division apparatus leaves the station for any reason other than response to emergency or service runs originating from such office. This normally shall be done by updating the vehicle’s status on the MDC or by radio. (Revised 12/31/15) 400.28 Members shall notify the fire alarm office when Division apparatus returns to quarters or is temporarily located at other Division stations or offices. 400.30 Members shall answer all alarms of fire or other emergency to which their company is dispatched. 400.32 Members shall immediately cease all activities and prepare to respond whenever it is indicated, whether by public address, telephone, radio, or messenger, that an alarm to which they may be required to respond is about to be transmitted. 400.34 Members in stations where more than one company is assigned, when an alarm is received, shall refrain from starting apparatus engines or activating vehicle horns, bells, or sirens until they are certain that members assigned to other companies have heard and understand the alarm assignment. (Revised 12/31/15) 400.36 All Division Bulletins shall be distributed and acknowledged electronically via the Division Learning Platform. (Revised 12/31/15) 400.38 Members shall not waste or abuse public property or other utilities whether in quarters or at emergency scenes. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter IV Rules And Regulations Governing Fire Station Personnel 400.40 Members shall transact all matters through proper channels, adhering to the chain of command except where urgent matters are involved and their immediate superior is unavailable. 400.42 Members shall, when there is business to be transacted, contact the officer in charge of the station, bureau, office, or other designated area of concern. 400.44 Members shall not gamble for money or other articles of value while on duty, and shall not have or keep any gambling device on Division of Fire property. 400.46 Members shall not engage in any religious, ethnic, or political controversy under any circumstances. 400.48 Members shall not receive awards, presents, or gratuities of any kind for services rendered while engaged in the business of the Division without the permission of the Chief. 400.50 Members shall not place decorations or advertisements in or on any Division property without the permission of the chief. 400.52 All members shall study and become familiar with the traffic laws of the City of Columbus. 400.54 Vendors desiring to demonstrate or sell their products shall be referred to the Officer in Charge of the station. Officers may authorize such visits when approached by a vendor or representative showing proper credentials, but shall consider the convenience of the personnel assigned to such station or bureau and shall assure such members that they are not obligated to attend meetings or demonstrations for this purpose. 400.55 All vending machines placed in Fire Stations or other Division Facilities shall be the personal property of the personnel assigned to such station or facility. Company leased vending machines will not be permitted on Division of Fire property. Also, vendors Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter IV Rules And Regulations Governing Fire Station Personnel will not be permitted to place any items (i.e., potato chips, candy, etc.) in a fire facility for a percentage of the sales - unless by City Contract and approved by the Fire Chief. FIRE STATION LIBRARIES 400.56 All publications belonging to the Division of Fire shall be kept in a location such as an Officer’s Room, where the security of such materials can be assured. A locked bookcase or closet should be used whenever possible. 400.58 Members shall not remove any book or other publication from any Fire Division library. (Revised 12/31/15) 400.60 No book will be loaned out overnight, taken out of the fire station, or placed in any member’s personal locker for any period of time, regardless how short. In addition, no reading material of questionable moral content or potential embarrassment to the Division of Fire shall be brought into or permitted to remain in any fire station. 400.62 Whenever a piece of apparatus is parked away from a station, for a non-emergency, at least one individual shall remain with the vehicle. This individual is responsible for providing security for the vehicle and equipment. 400.64 No Fire Division vehicle shall be parked in a marked “Fire Lane” except during a response to an emergency. STATION CAPTAINS 402.00 A Station Captain shall be assigned to each Division fire station. 402.02 Station Captains shall be assigned by the Fire Chief, in keeping with the current Division vacancy and transfer procedures. They shall be directly responsible to their respective battalion chiefs. 402.04 Station Captains shall be in charge of and responsible for the inspection, care, maintenance, and general cleanliness of the station and grounds, and of the apparatus and equipment housed, stored, or assigned to such station. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter IV Rules And Regulations Governing Fire Station Personnel 402.06 Station Captains shall provide guidelines concerning the maintenance of the station, equipment, and apparatus quartered therein, consistent with the established policies of the Division. Officers and members of all units shall acknowledge and use such guidelines whenever possible unless specifically instructed to do otherwise by their respective battalion chiefs. 402.08 Station Captains shall prepare and submit required reports and requests, or initiate such other actions as are necessary to promptly remedy situations discovered and reported during the course of fire station inspections. Requests for routine maintenance procedures and remodeling or renovation projects must be submitted by the station captain, through proper channels, to the Support Services Bureau for approval to be forwarded to Facilities Management Office. All request for station maintenance shall be recorded into the fire station maintenance log and daily smooth log. (Revised 12/31/15) 402.10 Station Captains shall be responsible for complying with and enforcing all Division rules and regulations within their span of control. They shall be responsible for providing guidance, counseling and motivation to all Division members assigned to their station, irrespective of unit. 402.12 Station Captains shall be responsible for promptly reporting to their Battalion Chief any events or situations where proper and gainful coordination between the units is in any way jeopardized, threatened or ignored. 402.14 Station Captains shall be responsible for ensuring that the officers and members assigned to their stations conduct roll call in the prescribed manner, clearly and accurately relaying all pertinent information as required, as further explained in Section 406.00 of this manual. 402.16 Station Captains shall require their subordinates to immediately notify them of anything of an unusual nature which they, as station captains, should know. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter IV Rules And Regulations Governing Fire Station Personnel 402.18 Station Captains shall be responsible for seeing that a proper and complete recording of all pertinent information is included in the regular daily company journal on all units. 402.20 Station Captains shall make certain that all pertinent information is properly recorded on the temporary daily log by the watchman or other members of the various units, for their own personal information and use. 402.22 Station Captains shall be responsible for preparing or having prepared all routine reports, supply requests, and other communications concerning their station and the apparatus or equipment quartered therein, and for seeing that they are promptly forwarded through proper channels. They shall also monitor the submission of routine reports and communications involving station personnel on all units, including such things as fire inspection and hydrant inspection reports. 402.24 Station Captains shall keep books of streets, hydrants, buildings, and other important subjects for training and schooling purposes, and shall make such books readily available to all officers and members assigned to the station for use as reference or training material. 402.26 Station Captains shall be responsible for seeing that station officers on each unit, prepare, post and regularly update and maintain a list of names, addresses and telephone numbers of all Division members assigned to their respective units. A duplicate of such list shall be furnished to each unit's battalion chief. 402.28 Station Captains shall be responsible for, and take full charge of, all voting that is required in their respective stations with regard to various matters pertaining to the Division, and shall strive to prevent improper or incomplete voting practices or any other action that would serve to disqualify groups of votes from being counted. 402.30 Station Captains shall maintain a procedures file relative to the operation of their stations, and shall submit a copy of such file to their Battalion Chief for approval. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter IV Rules And Regulations Governing Fire Station Personnel 402.32 Station Captains shall submit to their Battalion Chief prior to June 15 of each year the annual preliminary budget request (form ER-63). 402.34 Station Captains shall be fully responsible for the administration of the Station Expense Fund, in accordance with provisions listed in Section 424.00 of this manual. 402.36 Station Captains, when designated by their battalion chiefs to do so, shall perform the duties of the battalion training captain. 402.38 Station Captains shall be fully prepared to assume all of the duties and responsibilities of their battalion chief at any time, and at least once every three months shall be required to perform these duties under the direct supervision of such chief. They shall also be thoroughly familiar with those duties and responsibilities required of the members under their commands. 402.40 Station Captains shall be responsible for adhering to all rules, regulations, and policies pertaining to Division officers and company commanders as set forth in this manual. 402.42 Station Captains shall perform such other related duties as are required by their battalion chief. 402.44 Station Captains shall advise their battalion chief of their recommendations concerning the lieutenant they wish to have act as their alternate in the event of a prolonged absence. COMPANY COMMANDERS 404.00 Company Commanders shall be assigned by the Chief, shall be directly responsible to their Battalion Chiefs, and shall ordinarily hold the rank of Captain or Lieutenant. However, any member of the uniformed Division may be required to assume the responsibilities of a company commander under emergency or other unusual conditions. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter IV Rules And Regulations Governing Fire Station Personnel 404.02 Company Commanders shall be in complete charge of their company, and shall be responsible for the training, counseling, personal appearance and conduct of all Division members under their supervision. 404.04 Company Commanders shall be responsible for the discipline of their subordinates. If a disciplinary matter cannot be successfully resolved at the company level, the appropriate Battalion Chief shall be notified as soon as possible. If necessary, substantiated and well documented charges shall be filed by the Company Commander and forwarded through the chain of command to the level at which the problem can be resolved. 404.06 In all instances of discipline at the company level, a memo detailing the particulars of such discipline shall be sent through channels to the Fire Chief. (Revised 12/31/15) 404.08 Company Commanders shall make a full report in writing of any courageous or meritorious act performed by any member of their command, in keeping with the Division's Meritorious Conduct Policy. In addition, any act of cowardice, dereliction of duty, insubordination, or assault committed by a subordinate shall be reported to the appropriate Battalion Chief as soon as possible, and detailed in writing through proper channels to the Chief of the Division. 404.10 Company Commanders shall report to their respective Battalion Chief any matter requiring their immediate attention, and shall advise their Battalion Chief of any fact or event that could be of importance to them. 404.12 Company Commanders, before approving requests for the trading of time, shall make certain that the provisions of the Division's Trading of Time Policy are strictly followed. 404.14 Company Commanders shall see that all members of their company wear the regulation breathing apparatus furnished by the Division for their protection. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter IV Rules And Regulations Governing Fire Station Personnel 404.16 Company Commanders shall be responsible for assuring that all personnel under their supervision have, and when necessary wear, all required articles of protective clothing. These include such items as protective hoods, helmets, eye protection, turnout coats and pants, boots, gloves and other protective gear as needed. (Revised 12/31/15) 404.18 Company Commanders shall be responsible for ensuring that full protection goggles, safety glasses or protective face shields are worn by members when needed. (Revised 12/31/15) 404.20 Company Commanders, when returning to quarters from alarms of fire and/or other assignments shall afford their relief drivers ample opportunity to drive the apparatus, so that these members may gain experience necessary to properly perform such duties. 404.22 Company Commanders shall see that all apparatus, hose, tools, and other equipment used at fires or other emergencies is immediately checked upon return to quarters, irrespective of the hour. They shall exercise their judgment in determining the necessity for washing apparatus or tools and for changing or cleaning hose. 404.24 Company Commanders, with reference to the preceding paragraph, shall be primarily concerned with returning the apparatus, hose, and tools to a condition where the efficiency of subsequent operations is not compromised or impaired and where the potential for unnecessary damage or unfavorable public reaction is not thereby created. Under normal conditions, hose used at fires will be changed or cleaned as necessary, either by members of the unit using such hose or by the unit immediately following same, in the morning hours. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter IV Rules And Regulations Governing Fire Station Personnel 404.26 Company Commanders shall assure themselves that all of their members have a thorough knowledge of the vehicle to which they are assigned, and have the ability to instruct others in the operation of such vehicle. All members shall be provided frequent opportunities to practice driving, tilling, and pump operation, so that the respective companies have at least two (2) pump operators, two (2) ladder drivers, and two (2) tillermen. In cases where company commanders feel that the above requirements are inadvisable, a report stating the reasons for such opinion shall be submitted to the Fire Chief. 404.28 Company Commanders shall notify the officer in charge of the fire or emergency when they feel it will be necessary for their company to remain out of service for a period of time after being cleared from a fire or emergency scene. The officer in charge shall then notify the fire alarm office, so that the proper coverage can be provided or maintained. 404.30 Company Commanders shall notify the fire alarm office and their Battalion Chief when changing over to a piece of supplementary apparatus. 404.32 Company Commanders shall notify their Battalion Chief and be guided by the Battalion Chief’s instructions before they allow any item to be added to or deleted from the normal complement of equipment carried on the apparatus. 404.34 Company Commanders shall be responsible for seeing that the apparatus radio or base station radio is monitored at all times when the possibility of receiving an emergency notification by such means exists. (Revised 12/31/15) 404.36 Company Commanders, when assigned to fill in at other stations vacated by companies operating at fires or other emergencies, shall immediately notify the fire alarm office upon arrival at such station. In addition, they shall follow all standard Division procedures pertaining to the efficient operation of fire stations. (This shall include maintaining the watch duties, becoming familiar with posted local conditions that could affect routine or emergency operations, and other relevant duties as conditions warrant.) Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020