HELICOPTER LANDINGS

S.O.G. No.: 01-012

Revision: DEC 2006

Effective Date: FEB 1994

1. PURPOSE

1.1 In the interest of the department member’s health and safety, this document is established to provide guidelines maintaining a safe helicopter landing zone.

2. REFERENCES

2.1 Union Fire District Board of Wardens Policy

3. OSHA REQUIREMENTS

3.1 The department shall maintain a safe working environment during a helicopter landing within the district in accordance with OSHA regulations.

4. PROCEDURE
4.1 HELICOPTER LANDING

When SKPD dispatchers are notified of an expected helicopter landing requiring fire protection they will give an initial broadcast “Helicopter Landing: Signal 100 for two Engines and Special Hazards 1”. The responding units will be designated and positioned as follows:

Attack Engine:

Water Supply:

One of the responding Engines (Engine 3 or Engine 10 due to on board foam) will be designated as the Attack Engine. In the event of an incident, the responsibility for rescue and initial fire attack rest with this unit and crew. The crew’s three primary goals are listed below:

Save and Preserve Lives (Civilian and Firefighters)

1. 1)  Stabilize the incident to prevent further damage
2. 2)  Extinguish the fire

The other responding Engine will be designated the Water Supply Engine. The primary responsibility of this Unit will be to establish a water supply to the Attack Engine as rapidly as possible.

SH 1:

This unit will remain a safety distance from the landing zone and establish a command post. In the event of an incident with the landing the crew of SH-1 have the responsibility of securing the surrounding area, make sure no one from the public enters the area of the incident and dike any drains to prevent fuel contamination.

4.2 HELICOPTER LANDING AT SOUTH COUNTY HOSPITAL

Both Engines will enter the hospital grounds on West Drive entrance closest to Pleasant Street by the Bacon House and establish themselves near the first hydrant. Neither unit will take any equipment from the apparatus and will position themselves so they can respond to the helipad or to Kenyon Avenue for a quick response to another area. The Commander on scene will establish their crew at this time. If enough personnel are available, the IC should set up a rescue crew and an attack crew on the Attack Engine and a third Crew on the Water Supply Engine.

SH 1:

This unit enters the hospital ground via the West Drive entrance and establishes itself near the Bacon House. In the event of an incident at the helipad itself, the crews of SH-1 have the responsibility of securing the surrounding area, make sure no one from the hospital or the public enters the area of the incident and dike any drains to prevent fuel contamination. If the incident is not at the helipad they will respond to the area of the incident for use by the incident commander.

SCENARIOS:

In the event of an incident involving a helicopter crash landing at South County Hospital, it will probably create one of three general scenarios.

1. #1:  Helicopter crashes on or very near the Helipad. In this case the Fire Attack unit heads directly through the parking lots to the crash site, immediately deploying lines for rescue and attach. Water Supply unit proceeds to site and reverse lays to the nearest hydrant. SH1 secures the parking area around the cafeteria; dike the drains to prevent fuel contamination and assists attack crews.
2. #2:  Helicopter crashes in the area of the upper field southwest of the hospital. It has been observed that most helicopters landing at South County Hospital come in from the East or South East. This means a high possibility of any problems that do occur will be in the area south of the hospital grounds, in or around the top field. In this case, Engines will proceed from Hospital grounds to Kenyon Avenue (do not try to scale the bank) to Town Farm Road. The Attack Engine may lay a line from Dobson Street to the site and Water Supply would pick up the line and finish the lay to the Dobson Street Hydrant. If the Attack Engine does not lay the line, the Water Supply Engine will proceed to the site and reverse lay to the hydrant.

3. #3:  Helicopter crashes in the area of the baseball field. If the crash site is on Dobson Street before the hydrant, Attack Engine will go directly to the site and Water Supply will lay from the site to the hydrant. If the site is on Dobson Street after the hydrant, Attack Engine will lay its own line and Water Supply will take the Hydrant. SH-1 will respond and assist attack crews as directed by Incident Commander.
4. #4:  Helicopter crashes some distance from the Hospital grounds. In this case all units would respond to the crash site carry out orders as given. The Incident Commander would decide on whether to lay lines and if so who will lay them.

NOTE: Night Landings, all apparatus will turn off all overhead lights. Landing zone strobe lights will only be placed on the landing pad if requested by the incoming helicopter.