Chesapeake Fire Department Tactical Withdrawal PDF

Policy 305 Chesapeake Fire Department Policy Manual Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/29, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Tactical Withdrawal - 1 Tactical Withdrawal 305.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines...

Policy 305 Chesapeake Fire Department Policy Manual Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/29, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Tactical Withdrawal - 1 Tactical Withdrawal 305.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for tactical withdrawals from any scene or location when confronted by violent individuals or threatening situations, circumstances or events. The violence or threat need not be specifically directed at department members to justify the application of this policy. 305.2 POLICY The Chesapeake Fire Department is committed to the safety of its members. It is the policy of the Chesapeake Fire Department to allow members to withdraw from the scene or general location of an emergency call for service when they are confronted by violent individuals, violent or potentially violent situations or any other circumstance presenting a real or perceived imminent threat to member safety. 305.3 THREAT ASSESSMENT All members of the Department are expected to continually evaluate their surroundings while responding to incidents or participating in the mitigation of emergency or non-emergency events. The actions and conduct of persons at an event should be a primary element of the ongoing scene- safety evaluation. Certain types of events, certain actions taken by individuals involved in events and a variety of other circumstances should trigger a heightened awareness and consideration of personnel safety. Situations or circumstances that should initiate such consideration include: (a) Gang-related activity, particularly any event involving violent encounters, confrontations or conflicts between members of rival gangs. (b) Any situation involving shots fired, or on any scene where shooting occurs or is heard in the immediate vicinity. (c) Any time a subject challenges or threatens members of the Department with violence or harm. (d) Any scene where members of the Department are attacked in any way. Examples include rocks, bottles or other projectiles thrown or launched at members or department vehicles or apparatus; individuals attempting to gain access to department vehicles or apparatus; or any direct act of violence committed against members of this department. (e) Any event involving civil disturbance, large-scale demonstrations or protests. This includes any event involving a large gathering of people where the nature of the activity appears to include violent confrontation or the perceived threat of violent confrontation between opposing groups, or between the protesters and law enforcement personnel or other government representatives. Chesapeake Fire Department Policy Manual Tactical Withdrawal Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/29, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Tactical Withdrawal - 2 Any member who believes that there is a threat of violence to personnel at any incident should promptly relay that information to the appropriate supervisor as quickly as possible. The Incident Commander (IC), scene supervisor or senior ranking member has the authority to initiate a tactical withdrawal and the responsibility for ensuring that all members on-scene or at risk due to the threat are notified of the action. Authority for the decision resides primarily with on- scene personnel and should not be delayed while seeking approval or confirmation from a higher authority, who may not be at the incident scene. In the event that a credible threat to personnel is discovered at a level of the incident command structure above an on-scene supervisor, a tactical withdrawal may be ordered and relayed down the chain of command to the on-scene supervisor. In that event, the supervisor has the responsibility for ensuring that all members on-scene or at risk due to the threat are notified of the initiation of a tactical withdrawal. 305.4 CONDUCTING TACTICAL WITHDRAWALS 305.4.1 WITHDRAWAL OPTIONS The following guidelines should be applied when the decision has been made to initiate a tactical withdrawal: (a) During the response to an incident: 1. If a tactical withdrawal occurs during the response phase of an incident, the department member responsible for initiating the withdrawal is responsible for notifying all responding units and Emergency Dispatch Center of the withdrawal action. The relay of the withdrawal decision to individual units may be conducted by the member, or he/she may choose to have Emergency Dispatch Center notify all responding units to cancel their response or to respond to a defined staging area. (b) After arrival at an incident: 1. When units are on-scene at an incident and a decision is made to initiate a tactical withdrawal, the IC or ranking supervisor is responsible for notifying all involved units (including those assigned to the incident but that have not yet arrived) of the withdrawal action. The IC should also notify Emergency Dispatch Center of the tactical withdrawal, and if time and circumstances allow, the situation and reason for the withdrawal. Individual unit supervisors are responsible for notifying all of their assigned personnel of the withdrawal. 305.4.2 WITHDRAWAL GUIDELINES The following guidelines should be applied when the decision has been made to initiate a tactical withdrawal: Chesapeake Fire Department Policy Manual Tactical Withdrawal Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/29, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Tactical Withdrawal - 3 (a) Whenever a tactical withdrawal is initiated, a defined staging area will be established at a safe location away from the incident scene and all involved units and personnel should withdraw to that staging area. Whenever practicable, all involved units should withdraw from the incident scene as a single group. If that is not practicable, individual units should attempt to congregate together, forming the fewest and largest groups practicable, and withdraw in those groups. (b) After all units have been initially notified of a tactical withdrawal, individual unit supervisors are responsible for personnel accountability, ensuring all members of their crew are accounted for and withdrawing as directed. The on-scene supervisor is responsible for accounting for all units assigned to the call and ensuring that all units are withdrawing as directed. (c) Whenever a tactical withdrawal is initiated, Emergency Dispatch Center should immediately notify and request an immediate response by the appropriate law enforcement agency to provide security for the withdrawing units. (d) Once the IC or scene supervisor believes that all units and personnel have withdrawn from an incident, he/she should conduct a Personnel Accountability Report (PAR) of all units assigned to the incident to confirm they have safely withdrawn. Individual unit supervisors shall confirm that all members of their crew are accounted for and safe. (e) Once all involved units have gathered at the staging area, the IC or scene supervisor should again conduct a PAR to confirm that all personnel are safe. If any person involved in the operation is unaccounted for, emergency procedures should be initiated. 305.5 PATIENT CARE CONSIDERATIONS Special consideration should be taken when a tactical withdrawal is initiated after members have begun providing medical assessment or medical care at an incident scene. If a tactical withdrawal is initiated at a time that members are providing medical services to sick or injured patients, those members should, whenever practicable, attempt to maintain their care of medical patients and evacuate those patients as part of the withdrawal process. In the event that violence or the threat of violence forces members to abandon any patient under their care, the involved member should immediately notify the appropriate law enforcement agency of the location of the patient and request immediate assistance in securing the scene to allow for safe and timely medical treatment and evacuation of the patient. The members should remain on the call and wait for law enforcement clearance or other information indicating that it is safe to enter the incident scene. Once it is safe to do so, the members should attempt to locate the patient and resume medical evaluation, treatment and transport per protocol. In the event that law enforcement personnel and department members are unable to relocate the patient, the patient may be deemed to have self-extracted and the appropriate documentation should be prepared. Chesapeake Fire Department Policy Manual Tactical Withdrawal Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/03/29, All Rights Reserved.Published with permission by Chesapeake Fire Department Tactical Withdrawal - 4 305.6 NOTIFICATIONS Whenever a tactical withdrawal is initiated, the circumstances of the incident, including the incident location, will be relayed up the chain of command to the on-duty Battalion Chief. The Battalion Chief should coordinate with Emergency Dispatch Center and law enforcement to ensure additional calls for service to the affected area are screened and determined safe for entry. 305.6.1 RADIO FUNCTIONS (a) In the event members feel threatened and require immediate help, the unit will transmit “Emergency Traffic” on FD-DISP or the assigned FD tactical talk- group. “Chesapeake” will immediately dispatch police units to their location and notify the district battalion chief. (b) If the emergency button is activated and “Chesapeake” receives no transmission from the unit, it will be treated as a valid activation. 305.6.2 CRIME SCENES (a) In order for the Fire Department to fulfill its responsibility, the Police Officer(s) shall permit the responding members to check the victim for any signs of life using whatever equipment necessary. This may include the bringing of life support equipment into the scene, such as oxygen, drug boxes, heart monitors, etc. (b) If it is determined that the victim is exhibiting signs of life, the Police Officer(s) protecting the crime scene shall ensure that the responding members are able to perform their life saving function without interference. (c) In those situations when death appears to be obvious (as indicated by severe mutilation, rigor mortis, putrefaction, post mortem lividity, etc.), the Police Officer(s) shall permit one responding member to check the victim for possible signs of life. Other members will be permitted to wait nearby with other life support equipment to provide assistance if it is determined that the victim is exhibiting signs of life.