Standard Operating Guidelines (rev. 18-APRIL-2014)
CONTENTS:
BEHAVIOR:
A: At the station
B: On scene
C: Around the airport
D: Incident reporting
E. Recruiting for other departments and / or agencies
F: Responding to calls with the Firelands R.F.D.
ATTENDANCE:
No call / no show
Leave of absence
Suspensions
Probationary period
Operating with multiple departments / agencies
Chain of command:
Fire Chief
Assistant Fire Chief
1st Captain
2nd Captain
1st Lieutenant
2nd Lieutenant
Chief Engineer
Safety Officer / Rapid Intervention Team Officer
Firefighter / EMT-Paramedic
Firefighter / EMT-Basic
Firefighter
Probationary Member
Auxiliary
Uniform:
A basic uniform is provided. There are separate polo shirts for each department in the district as well as a Firelands RFD district polo. Duty slacks, pager, and radio are also provided. Uniforms are to be worn at all district / department functions as well as when on duty at one of the district stations.
Incident Command:
Incident command may be appointed by the Chief, Assistant Chief, or any district officer at any time as deemed necessary. Incident Commander / Officer in Charge may be used interchangeably while on scene. Typically the District Chief is the Incident Commander / Officer in Charge unless circumstances dictate otherwise. An example of when the Chief is not the IC / OIC is shown below:
- The District Chief is the aboard the first responding unit on scene and is short staffed; District Chief joins interior attack crew; next Officer in the Chain of Command arriving on scene would become the IC / OIC by default (IE: Asst. Engineer arrived on second in unit and assumed IC / OIC until relieved by the District Chief).
*************************************************
Behavior
(At the stations): While you are at the stations you should always be on your best behavior, and always keep in mind that you are representing not only this distict but each individual department and sim as well. Make sure that you are in one of the approved duty uniforms. Please keep the area in front of the station and inside the station clean of any unneeded clutter.
(On scene): When you respond to a call with the Firelands Rural Fire District you are always expected to be on your best behavior. Please treat all citizens of the sim with respect. Also please always try to keep a good attitude. Any and all Incidents should be reported (see Incident reporting section below).
(Around the sim): If you are off duty or on duty please always treat others around the sim with respect. Remember, even when off duty simvisitors (and other sim staff) will still remember your face as being a fire fighter for the Fire District. If you misbehave off duty it still makes the department look bad.
(Incident reporting): If there is an incident of any kind (either on a call or at the station on or off duty) fill out the incident report and forward it to BOTH the Assistant Chief and the Fire Chief. The Assistant Chief is responsible for maintaining accurate incident records. The Fire Chief is responsible for "sanitizing" the incident reports and posting them to the department and / or Fire District websites.
Responding to calls with the Firelands R.F.D. (amended 27-AUGUST-2014)
Alerts / tones / paging:
The members of the Firelands R.F.D. are activated for calls / incidents in a variety of ways. The typical chain of events is as follows:
- The call is paged out over the SL-EMA Minitor Fire Pager
- The "page" is then repeated via Gridtalkie (over the dispatch channel)
- The "page" is repeated via group announcement and group messaging
- Membership responds via teleport, personal vehicle, or any means deemed necessary
Upon arrival at the appropriate F.R.F.D. station or mutual aid location, all members are expected to don the appropriate safety equipment and turnout / bunker gear. There will be no exceptions to this rule. We are typically operating in public and virtual world or not we will appear to operate in a professional manner.
If available, the Sl-EMA Dispatcher will start announcing the units needed to respond to each call. On most incidents this is not an issue. However, at Stations 51 & 52 this is a huge issue due to a limited amount of prims available.
(Example: Sl-EMA Firecom to the Firelands R.F.D.: you have a motor vehicle accident with entrapment reported at Horse, Aero Pines. Respond with Engine 516, Rescue 517, and Squad 515)
Personal vehicles on scene: while permitted, please try to avoid cluttering up an incident with personal vehicles. If there is any doubt regarding what is or isn't needed on the scene of an incident call the officer in charge / incident commander and see what is needed. We all have been issued radios...start using them.
ATTENDANCE:
No call / no show: this, simply put, means that you could not be bothered to let an officer know that you are not going to make it to a call or a training. We are a volunteer based district so leniency will be shown. HOWEVER, attendance will be tracked. It takes time and effort to put trainings together. Continued lack of attendance will follow this chain:
1st- verbal "warning by the duty officer, training officer, or officer in charge (the Fire Chief will not be informed of first offenses)
2nd- verbal warning followed by a written report to the Fire Chief
3rd- written reprimand
4th- 3 day suspension from the department
5th- At this point you will be removed from the Fire District and your attendance record WILL be shared with any neighboring departments inquiring about your service here at the Firelands Rural Fire District.
Suspensions: When you are on suspension for attendance you will not be aloud to respond to and calls or attend trainings. Once your suspension is over you will report to an officer before going on a call.
Leave of absence: report to any officer in writing (via notecard or private IM is acceptable). A notecard is preferred so your request can be passed on to the command staff.
Probationary period: ALL members of the F.R.F.D. begin as a probationary member. The probationary period lasts for 15 to 30 calendar days but CAN be superseded by the Fire Chief at any time.
POLICY REGARDING MEMBERS OPERATING WITH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS / AGENCIES (Revised 2/24/2015):
Intent of the Policy:
The intent of this policy is not to limit our member’s ability to operate with multiple departments / agencies. The intent of this policy is to prevent conflicts of interests between the FRFD and other agencies as well as the best interest of the FRFD at large.
Notification Requirements for applicants/members operating with multiple departments / agencies:
All applicants are required to disclose any organization that they are currently involved with which provides similar fire or rescue services on their application. This includes but is not limited to Fire Departments, Rescue Departments, Police Departments, EMS Agencies, Coast Guards, etc. Applicants are required to disclose any organization that they have been involved with in the past which provides similar fire or rescue services on their application. This includes but is not limited to Fire Departments, Rescue Departments, Police Departments, EMS Agencies, Coast Guards, etc.
While we expect and fully support our members working with / running with other departments we require any non-officer level members to disclose any organization that they intend to be/get involved with (post application process) which provides similar fire or rescue services. This includes but is not limited to Fire Departments, Rescue Departments, Police Departments, EMS Agencies, Coast Guards, etc. Officer level members must disclose and gain approval for any organization that they intend to be/get involved with (post application process) which provides similar fire or rescue services. This includes but is not limited to Fire Departments, Rescue Departments, Police Departments, EMS Agencies, Coast Guards, etc.
Failure to fully disclose information regarding involvement with another agency as described above can preclude applicants from membership. Failure to fully disclose information regarding involvement with another agency can lead to progressive discipline for the membership can include but is not limited to loss of rank, loss of consideration for rank, warning, suspension, and termination.
Operating with multiple departments / agencies:
All members that do not respond to our calls yet respond as mutual aid personnel of a higher rank will be placed on an administrative suspension effective immediately and for a two (2) week period. A second incidence of this occurring will result in immediate termination from the Firelands R.F.D. While we fully support our members being involved with other departments and / or agencies it is completely disrespectful to all of our members when this happens.
Recruiting for other departments and / or agencies:
While we expect and fully support our members working with / running with other departments or agencies it is a direct conflict of interest to recruit for another department within our membership. It is also disrespectful to do so without at least seeking prior written approval from the District Chief, District Assistant Chief, or the District Admin / Commissioner. This type of behavior will not be tolerated and will carry one warning with it for non-officer level members. This type of behavior will have a zero tolerance policy for officer level members of the Firelands R.F.D.
Chain of command:
(Fire Chief): The position of Fire Chief is the highest rank in the fire department. He or she is responsible for the protection of public safety of the life and property of his or her area of responsibility (in this case the Antilaghi Regional Airport, Aero Pines Park, Alvensleben Resort & Marina, and surrounding sims). The Fire Chief provides administrative leadership as well as command leadership on an incident scene.. The Fire Chief coordinated with any sim owners or Board of Directors as well as with the other support services of the sim we are operating on. He or she delegates authority via the use of the other officers of the department.
(Assistant Fire Chief): Under the direct supervision of the Fire Chief; acts in place of the Fire Chief when the Fire Chief is unavailable. Delegates responsibilities via th other department officers and membership.
(Captain): The Captain (s) assigns duties and directs the activities of the department during an assigned shift, trainings, or on an incident. The Captain (s) is responsible for coordinating trainings and drills. He or she is also responsible for the direct supervision of the Lieutenants.
(Lieutenants): Under the direct supervision of the Captain (s) the Lieutenants supervise and direct the department and perform fire prevention & suppression duties as directed by the Command Staff. The Lieutenants also act as the department training officers. At F.R.F.D.we have two Lieutenants and the trainings are split as follows: 1st Lieutenant is in charge of fire suppression training while the second is in charge of emergency medical training.
(Chief Engineer): The Chief Engineer is responsible for the safe and efficient operation of firefighting apparatus at the incident scene. His or her duties driving the apparatus to and from the scene, regulating water pressure, and coordinating with the designated water supply officer during fireground operations. The Chief Engineer MAY superseded any other command staff member regarding vehicle operations and safety. The Chief Engineer reports directly to the Assistant Fire Chief.
(Safety Officer / Rapid Intervention Team Officer): To be announced
(Firefighter): There are different categories as shown below. The primary duties of any firefighter involve attending trainings, continuing education, and of course fire suppression. Reports directly to the Lieutenants.
(Firefighter-EMT or Fire-medic): Duties include all those of a firefighter. In addition an EMT or Fire-medic is also responsible for providing needed emergency medical care while on the scene of an incident. Reports directly to the Lieutenants.
(Probationary Member: All members serve as a probationary member as outlined in the attendance section.
(Auxilliary): Comprised of wives, partners, and interested outside citizens that would like to assist the department through means other than direct firefighting. Typically these members participate during open houses or fund raising activities.
Uniform:
(Duty): We have provided as much as we can. You will need combat / duty style boots. Shirt, pants, pager, and radio are provided.
Optional duty uniform accessory- 4MC duty jacket. If you have one of these you may request the department patches for it through the Fire Chief .
(Turnout / bunker gear): We allow personal preferences here to a point. Black or tan gear is allowed (tan preferred). Here are some basic guidelines:
Helmet colors:
Probationary Members: Yellow helmet traditional or modern style allowed (red reflectors if possible); a basic helmet shield is provided for members using the TPF helmet
Firefighters / EMTS / Fire-Medics: BLACK traditional style or modern
Safety / RIT Team: YELLOW
Lieutenants, Chief Engineer, and Captain: RED helmets with white reflectors if possible
Assistant and Fire Chief: WHITE with green or yellow reflectors if possible
SCBA: here at F.R.F.D. we primarily use HD / NextGen fire apparatus. As such the HD SCBA system is required. Cost is minimal (L$99)
Turnout / bunker gear: We can and will provide basic mesh turnout / bunker gear for any member that requests it. However, this is very basic gear and does not include SCBA. It does include a basic helmet that you will most likely want to replace at your earliest convenience.
Dress Uniform: to be announced
INCIDENT COMMAND TREE:
Fire Chief
Assistant Fire Chief
1st Captain
2nd Captain
Chief Engineer
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Safety / RIT Team Lead
Firemedic
Firefighter / EMT
Firefighter
Probationary Member
The Fire Chief will direct the overall incident or fire scene.
The Assistant Fire Chief is responsible for coordinating the commands of the Fire Chief and directing any / all responding mutual aid companies
The Captain (s) is directly responsible for commanding the interior / attack / suppression teams
The Lieutenants are directly responsible for providing direct fire suppression activities and lead the interior attack teams
The Chief Engineer is responsible for directing and placement of apparatus on scene or the fire ground. He or she is also responsible for apparatus operations. He or she will also designate a water supply officer.
Safety / RIT Team Lead: this is the ONLY person who can directly over rule the Fire Chief regarding scene or fire ground safety. If the Safety / RIT Team lead instructs the interior attack teams to withdraw they MUST do so at once.
The Firelands Rural Fire District (F.R.F.D.) May 11, 2014
-Assistant Fire Chief Cale Solo revised by Fire chief Carla Laville
No comments:
Post a Comment