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<br /> departments where members arrive in their own vehicles idly. The fire department should develop procedures. in
<br /> or assemble at the scene. a stem is required to record the consultation with the fire department physician. to provide
<br /> identity of each member arriving and to organise them relief from adverse climatic conditions.
<br /> into companies or groups with appropriate supervision.
<br /> This requires a standard systrtn of "reporting in" at the Typical rehabilitation considerations for operations dur-
<br /> inndrnt and becoming part of the organized system of ing hot weather extremes are (I) moving fatigued or unas-
<br /> operations. signed personnel away from the hazardous area of the inci-
<br /> dent; (2) removal of personal protective equipment; (3)
<br /> A-6-3.5 There are many means of meeting these require- ensuring that personnel are out of direct sunlight; (4)
<br /> ments. Some components may include tactical worksheets, ensuring that there is adequate air movement over person-
<br /> command boards, apparatus riding lists, company person- nel,either naturally or mechanically; (5) providing person-
<br /> nel boards, electronic bar-coding systems, etc. These corn- nel with fluid replenishment, especially water;and (6) pro-
<br /> ponents may be used in conjunction with one another to viding medical evaluation for personnel showing signs or
<br /> facilitate the tracking of personnel by both location and symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
<br /> function. The components of the personnel accountability
<br /> system should be modular and expand with the size and
<br /> complexity of the incident. T-ypical-r-ehabilitation_considerations for operations dur-
<br /> ing cold weather extremes are(1)moving fatigued or unas-
<br /> A-6-4.1 The limitation of emergency scene operations to signed personnel away from the hazardous area of the inci-
<br /> dent (2) providing shelter from wind and temperature
<br /> chose that can be safely conducted bythe number of per- extremes; (3) providing personnel with fluid replenish-
<br /> re
<br /> sunnel on the scene is intended to reduce the risk of fire ment, especially water; and (4) providing medical evalua-
<br /> fighter death or injury due to understaffing. While mem- don for personnel showing signs or symptoms of frostbite,
<br /> hers can be assigned and arrive at the scene of an incident h}'potnrrmia, or other cold-related injury.
<br /> in many different ways. it is strongly recommended that
<br /> interior fire fighting operations not be conducted without
<br /> an adequate number of qualified fire fighters operating in A-7-1.1 Where health,safety. building,and fire codes are
<br /> companies under the supervision of company officers. not legally applicable to fire department facilities, steps
<br /> should be taken to ensure that equivalent standards are
<br /> applied and enforced. In the absence of local require-
<br /> It is recommended that a minimum acceptable fire corn- ments, the provisions of NFPA 1, Fire Prevention Code;
<br /> pany staffing level should be 4 members responding on or NFPA WI, Life Safety Code; NFPA 70. National Electrical '
<br /> arriving with each engine and each ladder company Code*, and a model plumbing. mechanical, and building
<br /> responding to any type of fire. The minimum acceptable code should be applied. In addition, the workplace safety
<br /> staffing level for companies responding in high-risk areas standards specified in 29 CFR 1910 or an equivalent scan-
<br /> should be 5 members responding or arriving with each dard should be applied (Code of Federal Regulations. Work-
<br /> engine company and 6 members responding or arriving place Safety Standards).
<br /> with each ladder company. These recommendations are
<br /> based on experience derived from actual fires and in-depth A-8-15 Any member, either career or volunteer, who
<br /> fire simulations and are the result of critical and objective
<br /> reports for duty under the influence of alcohol or drugs,or
<br /> evaluation of fire company effectiveness. These studies any other substance that impairs the member's mental or
<br /> indicate significant reductions in performance and safety physical capacity, cannot be tolerated.
<br /> where crews have fewer members than the above recom-
<br /> mendations. Overall, 5 member crews were found to pro-
<br /> vide a more coordinated approach for search and rescue Evidence of substance abuse could include a combina-
<br /> and fire suppression tasks. tion of various factors such_as slurred speech, red eyes,
<br /> dilated pupils, incoherence, unsteadiness on feet, smell of
<br /> During actual emergencies, the effectiveness of comps- alcohol or marijuana emanating from the member's body,
<br /> inability to carr-y-on-a-rational_conversauon,_increased_care-
<br /> nies can become critical to the safety and health of fire -
<br /> fighters. Potentially fatal work environments can be ere_ lessness, erratic behavior, inability to perform a job, or
<br /> ated very rapidly in many fire situations.The training and other unexplained behavioral changes.
<br /> skills of companies can make a difference in the need for
<br /> additional personnel and in reducing the exposure to The possibility of liability exists if a member who is
<br /> safety and health risks to fire fighters where a situation under the influence of alcohol or drugs is allowed to
<br /> exceeds their capabilities. remain on duty, to operate or drive vehicles or equipment
<br /> on duty, or to drive a private vehicle from the duty site. A
<br /> A-6.4.5 If advanced life-support personnel are available, member who is believed to be under the influence of alco-
<br /> this level of service would be preferred. Basic life support hof or d.ugs cannot be allowed to operate equipment or
<br /> is the minimum acceptable level. - drive a vehicle,including a private vehicle, until the condi-
<br /> tion of the member has been determined and verified.
<br /> A-6-6.2 Weather factors during emergency incidents can •
<br /> impact severely on the safety and health of members, par- A-8-2.I Critical fire fighting tasks are physically demand-
<br /> ticularly during extremes of heat or cold. Where these f'ac- ing. These tasks require muscular strength, muscular
<br /> ton combine with long duration incidents or situations that endurance, aerobic capacity, flexibility, equilibrium, and
<br /> require heavy exertion,the risks to members increase rap- anaerobic power. A study is presently being conducted to
<br /> 1992 Edition ATTACHMENT 07
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