Chapter 11

Establishing Response Standards

11-1

Introduction

• Establish standard policies and procedures

• Draw upon the experience we have gained in an effort to make the next incident safer

• Value of sharing information is obvious when we are talking about firefighter deaths

• Important to explain the different terms we use

11-2

Life Safety Initiative 11

National standards for emergency response policies and procedures should be developed and championed

11-3

Life Safety Initiative 11

TERMINOLOGY

• Overview

• SOPs versus SOGs

• Specific words with specific meanings

• Maintain original intent

• Common ways of relaying information

Cont.11-4

Life Safety Initiative 11

TERMINOLOGY

• Policies and procedures

• Mission statements

• Policies

• Are the why

• Procedures

• Are the how

Cont.11-5

Life Safety Initiative 11

TERMINOLOGY

• Standard operating procedures and guidelines

• Ensures consistency, effectiveness, and professionalism

• Training tool

• Procedure a more rigid term

• Guideline a softer term

• Must address most possible scenarios

Cont.11-6

Life Safety Initiative 11

TERMINOLOGY

• Writing style

• Overview

• Purpose

• Revision history

• Personnel affected

Cont.11-7

Life Safety Initiative 11

TERMINOLOGY

• Writing style

• Policy

• Definitions

• Responsibilities

• Procedure

11-8Courtesy of Kenny Pritt Jr.

Life Safety Initiative 11

LEVELS OF STANDARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

• Overview

• Create a system based on the different levels of applicability

• Series One (S-1), virtually all agencies

• Series Two (S-2), majority of agencies

• Series Three (S-3), specialized response

Cont.11-9

Life Safety Initiative 11

LEVELS OF STANDARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

• Series One (S-1: National)

• Emergency response

• Develop standards

• Define emergency

• Improve safety

• Procedures based on legal opinion

Cont.11-10

Life Safety Initiative 11

LEVELS OF STANDARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

• Series One (S-1: National)

• Emergency response

• Legal opinions differ

• Type of calls

• Apparatus

• Personnel responding

Cont.11-11

Courtesy of Kenneth J. Winter Sr.

Life Safety Initiative 11

LEVELS OF STANDARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

• Series One (S-1: National)

• Apparatus positioning

• Proximity dangers

• Scene safety

• Protective barriers

• Textbooks for proper positioning

Cont.11-12

Life Safety Initiative 11

LEVELS OF STANDARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

• Series One (S-1: National)

• Command system

• First arriving units

• NIMS

• Expansion and

interoperability

Cont.11-13

Courtesy of Lt. Rob Gandee

Life Safety Initiative 11

LEVELS OF STANDARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

• Series One (S-1: National)

• Risk management

• Risk-benefit analysis

• Tunnel vision

• Take human factors out of play

Cont.11-14

Life Safety Initiative 11

LEVELS OF STANDARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

• Series Two (S-2 Template)

• PPE

• EMS

• Communications

• Incident safety officers

• Emergency traffic

Cont. 11-15

Life Safety Initiative 11

LEVELS OF STANDARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

• Series Three

(S-3 Specialized)

• Overview

• Operations teams

• Officer promotions

• Special events

11-16Courtesy of Lt. Rob Gandee

Life Safety Initiative 11

IMPLEMENTING THE STANDARDS

• Overview

• Policy collaboration

• FESHE

• TRADE

• Assembling

• Modeling

• Adoption

11-17

Summary

• Fire and emergency services have been challenged on three different fronts

• The time has come for creating standard policies and procedures for many of our functions

• Break all policies into three different series• It’s vital that all SOPs/SOGs follow the same format• Collaboration by interested parties can assist in the

assembly and modeling of national standards

11-18