Fireground Safety for Company Officers Basic Concepts for Company Officers

Safety for Company Officers2 Fireground Safety Officer Responsibilities u Main function is to protect firefighters u Anticipate what could happen well before it does u Work within the Incident Command System u Duties must be performed with or without the “safety officer” being present at scene You may be assigned this function

Safety for Company Officers3 Firefighter Injuries by Type of Duty 1997

Safety for Company Officers4 Total Injuries by Year

Safety for Company Officers5 Firefighter Fatalities

Safety for Company Officers6 Fire Department Safety Manager u Duties Occupational Health Safety in workplace Safety in training Records management Policy and procedure development Safety Manager

Safety for Company Officers7 Fire Department Safety Manager u Programs Dept. Safety Officer Safety Committees Accident/Injury review Physical Fitness Research Safety monitoring CISD Rehabilitation Safety Manager

Safety for Company Officers8 Fireground Safety Officer (Sector) u Sector Officer Duties Time Keeping Personnel Count Building Survey Operations Accident/Injury Investigation Stay outside the collapse zone!

Safety for Company Officers9 NFPA 1500 Standard u Fire Department Occupational Health and Safety Standard All encompassing References 31 publications NFPA 1561 Created the NFPA 1521 Safety Officer Standard

Safety for Company Officers10 NFPA 1521 Fire Department Safety Officer Standard (1997) u The Fire Chief shall have the ultimate responsibility for the fire dept. occupational health and safety program as specified in Shall have a designated health and safety officer (2-1.3) Alternate personnel shall be assigned in absence of HSO ( )

Safety for Company Officers11 NFPA 1521 Safety Officer Standard u Chapter 1 Administration –scope; minimum requirements –purpose; meet intent of 1500 –equivalency; level of qualifications –definitions; common terminology

Safety for Company Officers12 NFPA 1521 Safety Officer Standard u Chapter 2 Organization –Assignment –Qualifications –Authority

Safety for Company Officers13 NFPA 1521 Safety Officer Standard u Chapter 3 Functions –Records & Data –Liaison –Rules and Regs. –Accident Prevention –Apparatus & equip. –Accident Investigation –Incident Scene Safety –Training and Education

Safety for Company Officers14 Qualifications of the Incident Safety Officer (ISO) u Minimum of Fire Officer I u Knowledge and ability to manage incident scene safety Training, experience, and knowledge are qualifiers for this position u Must have knowledge of building construction u Knowledge of Accountability system used u Rehab operations

Safety for Company Officers15 NFPA 1521 Safety Officer Standard u Chapter 4 References –1002 Driver –1021 Fire Officer –1403 Live Fire Training –1500 Safety and Health –1561 ICS –1582 Infection Control

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Safety for Company Officers17 Prerequisite Knowledge u What should the safety officer know? Building construction –Structural Collapse Awareness Course EMS background Rehab profiles Accountability systems ICS Liaison Techniques

Safety for Company Officers18 Building Construction u On the Fireground Building construction EMS background Rehab profiles Accountability systems ICS Liaison Techniques u Building Construction structural collapse signs / indicators Truss construction Live / dead loads Impact of fire tactics on structures –GPM’s –Ventilation

Safety for Company Officers19 EMS Background u What should the safety officer know? Building construction EMS background Rehab profiles Accountability systems ICS Liaison Techniques u EMS Background Fatigue Stress Heat exhaustion Frostbite Dehydration Triage Needs of EMS crews

Safety for Company Officers20 Rehab Profiles u What should the safety officer know? Building construction EMS background Rehab profiles Accountability systems ICS Liaison Techniques u Rehab Profiles Rotation indicators –2 bottle rule Duties of rehab crews Impact on operations –crew depletion u Rest u Hydration u Medical Monitoring

Safety for Company Officers21 Accountability Systems u What should the safety officer know? Building construction EMS background Rehab profiles Accountability systems ICS Liaison Techniques u Accountability Systems Passport or other In use by all members Crews accountability to each other is essential Best use on fireground comes from use in training Movement between sectors

Safety for Company Officers22 Incident Command System u What should the safety officer know? Building construction EMS background Rehab profiles Accountability systems ICS Liaison Techniques u Incident Command System Safety Officer is part of Command Staff –Sector –Consult / advise Command of actions –Participate in planning process

Safety for Company Officers23 Liaison Techniques u What should the safety officer know? Building construction EMS background Rehab profiles Accountability systems ICS Liaison Techniques u Liaison Techniques Understanding of outside agency participation in incident –excavators –utilities Oversight of mutual aid companies –conflicting values?

Safety for Company Officers24 Incident Safety Officer u Dispatch of ISO Report of Fire (Company Officers) Working Fires HazMat/Special Operations Mass Casualty Report of Injured or Trapped Firefighters

Safety for Company Officers25 Arrival On Scene u Don full protective clothing Same levels of protection as crews operating u Report to IC for briefing Review action plan Accountability in use RIT in place

Safety for Company Officers26 Major Areas of Responsibility u Identify unsafe conditions, operations, or hazards that pose risk to firefighters u Once identified the Safety Officer must: Immediately alter, suspend or terminate activities that are IMMINENT HAZARDS Through command, alter conditions or activities that are NOT imminent

Safety for Company Officers27 Authority of the Incident Safety Officer u Complete authority to alter, suspend or terminate those activities judged to be unsafe of involving imminent hazard.

Safety for Company Officers28 Classic Risk Management Plan u Risk a lot within a calculated plan to save a lot u Risk a little within a calculated plan to save a little u Risk nothing to save nothing

Safety for Company Officers29 Ongoing Responsibilities u Firefighters continue to work within the risk management plan u Incident Commander has established rehab u Continuously monitor the fireground conditions u Ensure that accountability system is used u Collapse and Hot Zones are established and communicated

Safety for Company Officers30 Ongoing Responsibilities u Evaluate motor vehicle scene traffic hazards and vehicle placement u Monitor radio traffic u Evaluate the need and request assignment of assistant safety officers

Safety for Company Officers31 Specific Incidents - Structural u Rapid Intervention Team in place u Evaluation of collapse potential and establishment of ZONES u Evaluate smoke conditions for potential deterioration of situations u Monitor access and egress points

Safety for Company Officers32 Specific Incidents - EMS Operations u Infection control practices u Incident Scene rehabilitation u Critical Incident Stress management u Traffic Safety u Accountability

Safety for Company Officers33 Specific Incidents - HazMat u Overall safety HazMat safety officer assigned at operational level –Work with HazMat safety officer to coordinate events u Ensure that Hot, Warm and Cold Zones are established and marked u Participate in planning session with IC

Safety for Company Officers34 Specific Incidents - Special Operations u Similar to HazMat Training should be equivalent to duties of special operations members May serve as plan review position working with special operations member

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Safety for Company Officers36 Fireground Safety Officer (Sector) u Sector Officer Time Keeping Personnel Count Building Survey Operations Accident/Injury Investigation u Time Keeping Time of call First entry by crews Duration of interior attack Any significant events –flashover –ventilation –rescue

Safety for Company Officers37 Fireground Safety Officer (Sector) u Sector Officer Time Keeping Personnel Count Building Survey Operations Accident/Injury Investigation u Personnel Count Interior crews Where assigned Teams established Accountability system in place and in use

Safety for Company Officers38 Fireground Safety Officer (Sector) u Sector Officer Time Keeping Personnel Count Building Survey Operations Accident/Injury Investigation u Building Survey How long burning Determined fire location Integrity of roof/walls/ floors Attention to Truss Minimize exposure under/over large spans Utilities OFF Survey overhead hazards

Safety for Company Officers39 Fireground Safety Officer Fireground Operations u Operations Adequate flow/ GPM’s Secondary escapes Attention to ladder work Observe collapse danger zones Smoke volume, color, force Fall hazards u Operations (con’t) Air monitoring Observe rehab profiles Additional hazards –traffic –heat / cold –passive smoke in operations area

Safety for Company Officers40 Fireground Safety Officer (Sector) u Sector Officer Time Keeping Personnel Count Building Survey Operations Accident/Injury Investigation u Accident / Injury Investigation Injured to hospital Retain all equipment Order blood / urine tests Respond to hospital for interviews Follow-up reporting after incident

Safety for Company Officers41 Fireground Safety Officer Post-Incident Responsibilities u Before leaving scene Secure scene CISD indicators? Legal considerations Brief Command on incident observations u Within 24 hours Develop an incident review form and submit to Chief Participate in critique, CISD Participate in investigations of injuries and fatalities

Safety for Company Officers42 Case History

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