Staging Policy PDF - Chesapeake Fire Department

Policy 309 Chesapeake Fire Department Policy Manual Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/29, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Staging - 1 Staging 309.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE An incident scene can quickly become congested with emergency equipment if t...

Policy 309 Chesapeake Fire Department Policy Manual Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/29, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Staging - 1 Staging 309.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE An incident scene can quickly become congested with emergency equipment if the equipment is not managed effectively. The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for staging at emergency incidents. 309.2 POLICY It is the policy of the Chesapeake Fire Department to safely stage resources at emergency incidents. 309.3 RESOURCE STAGING Staging areas are locations designated within the incident area to temporarily position resources that are available for assignment. Resource staging at emergency incidents will be conducted using the procedures, guidelines and positions consistent with the department’s Incident Command System (ICS). As incident resources grow, the Incident Commander (IC) should identify a staging area manager to maintain the staging area resources so they are ready for assignment. At the conclusion of the incident, the staging area manager should demobilize units with the approval of the IC. 309.3.1 LEVEL I AND LEVEL II STAGING When establishing a staging location and conducting staging activities Chesapeake Fire Department personnel should consider the following: (a) Level I Staging- During initial attack operations or on smaller, short-term incidents, identifying and selecting a primary staging location for incoming units should be based primarily on placing incoming resources in a safe location while providing for their rapid deployment when needed. Generally, resources will stage one block from the incident until assigned by the IC unless other more detailed and specific plans are pre-established. (b) Level II Staging- During extended attack or multiple-alarm incidents, the IC should establish a secondary staging area location early and assign a staging area manager, in the absence of such an assignment the first fire department officer to arrive in the staging area will be designated as the staging area manager. Additional location factors should be considered when identifying and establishing staging areas: 1. The secondary staging area should not affect incident operations and should be large enough for the incident resource needs. When possible, staging areas should be pre-planned and identified to cause minimal disruption to traffic flow, business activity and scheduled community activities. 2. Public property should be utilized, if possible, as opposed to private property. Whenever private property, church property or commercial property is utilized, the IC or an authorized designee should, when practicable, contact the owner, administrator or property manager for permission to use the property prior to Chesapeake Fire Department Policy Manual Staging Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/29, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Staging - 2 establishing a staging area. If any of these properties are utilized, the staging area should be configured to create the least possible disruption, including traffic flow in and around the property. The same applies to school property; however, in addition, the Public Information Officer should notify local media. The notification should emphasize that the school property is being used to support an incident occurring away from the school and that the school is not involved in the emergency. 309.4 STAGE-AWAY OPTION The stage-away option should be used in any incident where there may be a violent encounter. A violent encounter should be anticipated in, but not limited to, the following categories of calls for service: • Shootings or shots-fired • Stabbings • Civil disturbance • Criminal gang activity • Attempted suicide • Domestic disputes, including family fights • Unknown assault • Bomb incidents It is the policy of the Chesapeake Fire Department to use a nonstandard and defensive response profile when responding to calls for service involving known or suspected violent subjects. When responding to calls involving known or suspected violent subjects, department members should take the following actions: (a) Whenever possible, Emergency Dispatch Center should determine if violent subjects are involved in any call for service and, if so, include that information in the initial dispatch. The responding units should be advised to stage away from the scene. Any time Emergency Dispatch Center or any of the responding crews receive additional information indicating that violent subjects are at the scene of a call, the response should be upgraded to a stage-away incident. (b) The officer of the first-in responding unit will normally identify a staging point for all responding units. The staging point should be located two or more blocks away from the incident scene, out of direct line of sight of the incident, and should not require that the responding units drive by the incident to reach the staging point. The officer should also confirm with Emergency Dispatch Center that law enforcement is responding to the incident. (c) All responding units should acknowledge the call to stage-away and confirm the staging location via radio while en route to the incident. All units should avoid driving by or through the line of sight of the incident until it is determined to be safe to enter the scene. Chesapeake Fire Department Policy Manual Staging Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/29, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Staging - 3 (d) All units should report “on-scene staging” upon arrival at the staging point. (e) All units should remain staged away from the incident scene until notified that law enforcement has determined that the scene is safe to enter or until reliable information is received confirming that no violent subjects remain at the scene. In the event that the first-in unit arrives at an incident scene and encounters unanticipated violence or violent subjects, the officer or senior member of that crew should immediately notify Emergency Dispatch Center of the circumstances and request law enforcement support. All other responding units should be directed to stage-away unless members of the first-in unit determine it is safe for additional personnel to respond directly to the scene. Personnel will don ballistic vests when dispatched/staging for any incident in areas of known violence, or for any of the following types of incidents; • Any shooting or stabbing incident. • Any Active Threat situation. • Any area in which a civil disturbance is occurring or has potential to occur. • Any police standby or situation involving violence. • Any domestic violence, family dispute, or address that has been flagged for such hazards or flagged for known violence against public safety personnel. • Any incident that may be interpreted as explosive devices (suspicious package, bomb threat, etc.) being present or suspected. • Any time deemed necessary by the IC or person in charge of the crew.