Does Your Department Have.....

[3105]

a dedicated Incident Safety Officer? Is he/she regularly used at working incidents as well as training exercises?

If so, how were he/she chosen or appointed? Were there certain requirements or credentials needed?

I'm asking the above questions to get a sense of the County...

It would also be pointless to hide the fact that this is an area of intense interest for me, mostly because:

1) It is a vitally important component of ICS
2) It is required under NJSA 5.75 (I think that's the number)
3) It is often mistakenly viewed as "The PPE Police"
4) It requires specialized training
5) It can be VERY useful to an IC as another set of eyes and ears
6) It's not something that everyone has the proper disposition to do well.


I would appreciate some candid feedback from EVERYBODY but most especially from present and past chief officers who read the forum.

Thanks...

[JDub]

I asked around and we do not have a dedicated Safety Officer however we do appoint one to my knowledge. 3105 do you have guidelines for the safety officer at 31. If so could you email them to me?

[3105]

Not yet Josh...but we're working on it.....will let you know when something gets done.

[JDub]

Thanks Chief

[ENG27SQ]

3105 said:

Not yet Josh...but we're working on it.....will let you know when something gets done.

Ill second Josh's request....if possible.

We dont have one, we need to appoint one...

[JDub]

Unfortunately, you can not guarantee one person all the time unless that is there career. As much as someone can be there....there could be that one time when he/she can't be there. So what I see as the best solution is to take the guidelines 3105 shares with us and using them to create a pool of qualified Safety Officers...

[hp4l]

jdub said:

Unfortunately, you can not guarantee one person all the time unless that is there career. As much as someone can be there....there could be that one time when he/she can't be there. So what I see as the best solution is to take the guidelines 3105 shares with us and using them to create a pool of qualified Safety Officers...

You cannot guaruntee who is going to be at any call. Paid or volunteer, there will always be some sort of circumstance that can change who is coming to the call. I would suggest a department safety officer and a bunch of people trained to do it at an incident incase the other one(s) don't show up.

Hmmm... We can't rely on the same person all the time. Interesting. JDub, lurker, 3105 - That's for you.

[JDub]

Are you saying we are unreliable? 3105 he called us that word again!!!!!!! hehe


But yes Jim paid or not it's hard to rely one person. I believe all firefighters should be crossed trained to the point of being beneficial for their dept.

[opsoverkill]

Here is another thing to your list 3105.
Has overriding authority of a task give by the command or operations

The 43rd appoints yearly.

Here is a Safety Officer SOG/SOP





SUBJECT: Fire Department Safety Officer

PURPOSE: To establish a guideline for minimum requirements for the Fire Department Safety Officer

SCOPE: This guideline applies to all Fire Co. personnel


GUIDELINE: FIRE DEPARTMENT SAFETY OFFICER


Assignment:

The elected officers shall have the ultimate responsibility for the fire department’s Occupational Safety and Health program.

The elected officers shall appoint a Department Safety Officer. This person shall have a minimum rank of Lieutenant. The Safety Officer shall be responsible for the development and management of the department’s Occupational Safety and Health program and report directly to the elected officers.

In the absence of the Safety Officer, alternate personnel shall be assigned to perform the duties and responsibilities of that position which require immediate attention.

Qualifications:

The Safety Officer shall be a fire department officer and shall meet the requirements established for the position by the elected officers.

Responsibility and Authority:

The Safety Officer shall have the responsibility to identify and cause correction of health and safety hazards.

(1) At an emergency incident, when activities are judged by the Safety Officer to be potentially unsafe, he shall so advise command and recommend the alteration, suspension or termination of those activities.

(2) When any activities present an imminent hazard, the Safety Officer will initiate action to abate the hazard and immediately notify command of the situation and the action taken.

(3) When non-imminent hazards are identified the Safety Officer shall develop and present a recommendation for corrective action to the Elected Officers.

Functions and Duties:

The Safety Officer shall have and maintain knowledge of the current potential occupational safety and health hazards involved in firefighting and other department activities.

The Safety Officer shall have and maintain knowledge of the current principles and techniques of managing the department’s Occupational Safety and Health program.

The Safety Officer shall have and maintain a knowledge of the current occupational health and physical fitness factors applicable to the department’s activities and operation.





FIRE DEPARTMENT SAFETY OFFICER’S CHECKLIST


Location Date Time


( ) Report to the Incident Commander and obtain briefing.

( ) Don an ID vest and protective equipment.

( ) Conduct a primary survey of the rescue and fire attack problem.

( ) Coordinate activities with the special team safety officer (haz mat, confined space, water rescue, etc.)

( ) Make contact with sector officers or company officers; keep them informed of existing or impending hazards.

( ) Is a rapid intervention team in place?

( ) If an imminent life-threatening situation exists, exercise emergency authority to stop, alter, or suspend operations. If this action is taken, report it to the Incident Commander ASAP.

( ) Coordinate with the medical group supervisor to confirm the safety of transportation activities.

( ) Inspect and verify the safety of the heli-spot/landing zone.

( ) Report all incidents and injuries.

( ) Make note of all problem areas for future investigation.


Notes:






Personnel
( ) Use of protective clothing and equipment.
( ) Is the accountability system in place?
( ) Are any personnel free-lancing?
( ) Are interior assignments being rotated? (first-in = first-out)
( ) Is re-hab in place?

The Building
( ) Collapse potential. Are there warning signs?
( ) Are master streams being used? How long?
( ) Burn time. How long?
( ) Are there special hazards?
Truss construction
Old building
Poor repair
Dangerous occupancy
Under construction

Operations
( ) Backdraft potential
( ) Flashover potential
( ) Smoke conditions:
Color
Volume
( ) Offense vs. defense
( ) Ladder operations
( ) Placement of master streams
( ) Structural integrity of building
( ) Apparatus placement
( ) Check for safe environment and air quality prior to entry w/o SCBA

Command
( ) Command post location safe?
( ) Safety officer assignment?
( ) Accountability system OK?
( ) Communications
( ) Other conditions?

Accidents and Injuries
( ) Accident/injury reports done
( ) Injured to workman’s comp provider
( ) Injured to emergency room
( ) Retain all personnel equipment


Notes:


Safety Officer:

Date:

The above information is a portion of the fire company’s Occupational Safety and Health Program which also includes the following:

Background
Purpose
Scope
Implementation
Other Roles and Responsibilities
Occupational Safety and Health Committee
Training and Education
Vehicles and Equipment
Protective Clothing and Protective Equipment
Emergency Operations
Facility Safety
Medical
Member Assistance Program

[hp4l]

The Incident Safety Officer class at the BCESTC was a pretty good class. I recommend it for anyone looking for classes to take if it's available this semester.

[3105]

To check in with a couple of thoughts.....

The term "Safety Officer" needs to be further refined, as NFPA addressed in the 1582 standard.

An Incident Safety Officer is appointed to oversee safety issues at incidents and should be properly trained as well as experienced. The popular misconception is that the ISO's main job at a working fire is to go around and make sure everyone has their gloves on......a completely wrong assumption.

The ISO is the IC's eyes and ears at a working job and should be skilled at reading the fire's development and potential as well as identify future safety issues such as collapses and/or hostile fire events....one of the main reasons why Chief Dodson's "Reading Smoke" is a fundemental skill set taught for a significant portion of the FDSOA ISO course.

The ISO is empowered to stop or alter any activity that in his judgment poses a potential for severe harm...but only in conjunction with and notification to the IC. The ISO should continually assess the scene for developments and advise the IC of situations that needs to be addressed. Properly used, the ISO will ensure RIT coverage and briefing, make certain that accountability is set up and operating (another popular misconception is that the ISO runs the accountability system - that's NOT one of their specific duties...make sure it is set up however, is). Monitoring radio transmissions, checking IDLH environments, assessing structural integrity, setting up Rehab, accountability, and making certain crews are properly rotated are other important responsibilties.

Properly trained and used, an ISO should be transparent on an incident scene....he/she is not there to be noticed, but to do their job.

A Health and Safety Officer is an administrative position responsible for the development and implementation of a comprehensive Health and Safety Program including physical exams, infection control, respiratory protection, physcial ability testing, etc..... An HSO has NO fireground authority.

[thelurker]

hp4l said:

jdub said:

Unfortunately, you can not guarantee one person all the time unless that is there career. As much as someone can be there....there could be that one time when he/she can't be there. So what I see as the best solution is to take the guidelines 3105 shares with us and using them to create a pool of qualified Safety Officers...

You cannot guaruntee who is going to be at any call. Paid or volunteer, there will always be some sort of circumstance that can change who is coming to the call. I would suggest a department safety officer and a bunch of people trained to do it at an incident incase the other one(s) don't show up.

Hmmm... We can't rely on the same person all the time. Interesting. JDub, lurker, 3105 - That's for you.

Well Jim, is there some kind of RELIABILITY class that I can sign up for?? LOLOLOLOLOLOL

[Anger Management]

In Voorhees we used to have an assigned Safety Officer at 663. That person became busy with his daytime job, family obligations and stopped coming around. We usually appoint the the third due Chief/Officer responding in our local during a job as the Safety Officer. I have used Evesham Twp. Chiefs at two of my jobs as a Safety Officer. Like stated above we really need to look into training everyone in the District to be able to take the position when appointed at a job. Everyone could use a Safety course.

[3105]

Ops...thanks for that SOP/SOG....it will be thieved when I get around to writing out something formal for my Department.

Appointing another chief officer to the role of ISO is a good idea, as long as the individual has had some training as well as the right attitude and approach to the job. Just "appointing" someone on the fly can backfire if they don't know what to look for or worse yet, think the job's a nothing role.

Having taken the NFA and FDSOA courses, I would recommend the Fire Department Safety Officers Association (www.fdsoa.org) hands down.... I've often pondered the idea of trying to put a class together for the County to spread the costs out. My instructor was Chief Dave Dodson, which explains my fascination with reading smoke. Chief Dodson's approach to ISO work is very professional and extremely beneficial.

Another reason to take the FDSOA course is that you can take an exam and receive ProBoard certification as an ISO, the only national certification for this position. If you enjoy pushing paper, you can then take the Health and Safety Officer class (16 hours), pass the exam and get certification as an HSO as well.

[hp4l]

thelurker said:

hp4l said:

You cannot guaruntee who is going to be at any call. Paid or volunteer, there will always be some sort of circumstance that can change who is coming to the call. I would suggest a department safety officer and a bunch of people trained to do it at an incident incase the other one(s) don't show up.

Hmmm... We can't rely on the same person all the time. Interesting. JDub, lurker, 3105 - That's for you.

Well Jim, is there some kind of RELIABILITY class that I can sign up for?? LOLOLOLOLOLOL

I will have to work on that one Dean.

[shader101]

we use to have a decated one, yearly appointed by chief, now it is done by incident, i view it as a double edged sword a good one can help the ic a bad one can hinder the crews and leaders, as far as the training for it prob should be included in officer development ones thru the county's not just a seperate one they may or may not take just my .02 a 1.25 more and i get wawa coffee

[PtFireGuy]

my old department used to have a incident safety officer who also doubled as our department health and safety officer. he was a very big assett on training and a few incidents.