SAFETY OFFICER

S.O.G. No.:01-005 Revision: April 2007
Effective Date: May 1999

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 work environment.

2. REFERENCES

• 2.1 Union Fire District Board of Wardens Policy

3. OSHA REQUIREMENTS

• 3.1 The department shall maintain a safe working environment within the facility in accordance with OSHA

4. PROCEDURE

SAFETY OFFICER

The Safety Officer, a member of the command staff, is responsible for monitoring and assessing hazardous and unsafe situations and developing measures for assuring personnel safety. Although the Safety Officer may exercise emergency authority to stop or prevent unsafe acts when immediate action is required, the officer will generally correct unsafe acts or conditions through the regular line of authority (chain of command).

The Safety Officer is a specialist who provides expertise and individual attention to supplement the role and responsibility of IC for fireground safety. He should work as a sector within the fireground organization.

SAFETY IS EVERY FIREFIGHTER’S BUSINESS

The Safety Officer is a specialist who provides a higher level of expertise and undivided attention to supplement the IC’s role and responsibility for fireground safety. Where there is no full-time Safety Officer responding, every officer should be prepared to function as the incident Safety Officer when assigned by the IC. The presence of a Safety Officer does not replace common sense and in no way diminishes the responsibility of individual fireground officers for safety; it adds a higher level of attention and expertise to help them.

The Safety Officer is essentially an advisor to the IC and a consultant for the Sector Officers.

While the Safety Officer normally functions as an advisor to the IC, serving as a member of the Command Staff and represents safety through the normal chain of command. The Safety Officer also has the overriding authority to “blow the whistle” or veto a plan when conditions or actions create an immediate safety hazard.

The Safety Officer should function consistently as a sector within the fireground organization. This establishes safety as an equal element in the command structure, reporting directly to the IC. This is a functional sector assignment with the full authority to move around the fireground to represent safety concerns. One of the principle strengths of this approach is the ability to stand back and look at the big picture. The Safety Officer can look at the overall situation and action with a certain degree if detachment, since he is not preoccupied with trying to achieve a particular tactical objective. It is often amazing how much can be seen by just watching what is going on and looking at the fire and structural conditions.

The Safety Officer has a responsibility to represent safety policies, procedures, and requirements on the fireground. Unfortunately, this often requires corrective or regulatory actions which create a “safety cop” image. The role of the Safety officer is meant to be for the welfare of personnel operating under stress, excitement, and danger of the fireground. This role must not be compromised by irrational attitudes.

Some of the Safety Officer’s responsibilities and duties are:

Obtain a Briefing from the IC (see if there are any particular areas of the operation that he is concerned with, etc.)

Walk around the Incident and conduct a primary survey (make a mental picture of the scene and then put it on paper).

Monitor and assess accountability.

Help the IC co-ordinate all special teams (dive team, extrication, rope safety, etc.).

Make sure Rehab is set up and personnel are using it.

Is EMS at scene and are they set up and ready for business. Cold Weather/Hot Weather

Double check utility shutoffs, work with those agencies. Monitor CO levels during overhaul phase of fire.
Fill out all checklists.

The Incident Safety Officer should always work with the Incident Commander. Safety Officer is part of the command structure and can assist the IC and help keep all of the personnel on the scene safe and out of harm’s way.

SAFETY OFFICER’S CHECKLIST

LOCATION:_______________________________ DATE:______________TIME:_____________

CHECKLIST

• ___  Report to incident command: obtain briefing
• ___  Don identification vest and protective clothing and SCBA
• ___  Conduct a primary survey of rescue/fire attack problem
• ___  Identify existing and/or potential hazardous situations
• ___  Identify alternative exits/secondary escapes
• ___  Monitor accountability system – crew integrity maintained
• ___  Coordinate with special teams: dive, hazmat, confined space, rope safety
• ___  Keep sector officers and command informed of existing and potential hazards
• ___  Rapid intervention crews in place
• ___  Enough resources on scene
• ___  Level II staging establishes (if needed)
• ___  Re-hab sector established
• ___  Occupant safety addressed
• ___  Notifications – fire chief, assistant chief, utility, gas, DEM, water
• ___  If appropriate, exercise emergency authority to stop and prevent unsafe acts and operations (notify command)
• ___  If imminent life threatening situation, exercise emergency authority to stop and prevent unsafe operations (notify command)
• ___  Monitor CO levels during overhaul operations
• ___  Investigate injuries and accidents that have occurred as a result of emergency operations.

Safety Officer__________________________________________

UNION FIRE DISTRICT-SAFTEY OFFICER’S CHECKLIST