Firefighter Safety & Survival

The Rogers Fire Department has policies and procedures that meet or exceeds the intent of applicable sections contained within Chapter 6, Emergency Operations, of NFPA 1500, Standards on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program. It also intends to meet requirements of the OSHA Respirator Protection Standard 1910.134 and OSHA 2 in/2 out Rule 308-134e. The purpose of the procedures is for the rescue of personnel operating at emergency incidents, namely structural fires.

Procedures

The procedures are for the members entering an IDLH atmosphere, or working in an environment recognized to be unstable. Training for safety and survival is accomplished by company minimum standards, mayday drills, and Rapid Intervention Team training.

Minimum Company Standards

Minimum Company Standards is conducted on a quarterly basis with safety and survival as a category including but not limited to; mayday drills, firefighter carries and drags, restricted passageway, entanglement props, Rope slide, SBCA management, and other survival drills.

The anytime emergency personnel operating at an incident feel that they or another firefighter are trapped, injured, lost, or in any other condition placing them in imminent danger, and in need of rapid assistance, they shall verbally signal a mayday alert.

 Rapid Intervention Team
The Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) is established anytime members enter an IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health) environment without the possibility of a rescue. IDLH environments are typically those described as:

• Oxygen level below 19.5% or above 23%
• Lower Explosive Limits in excess of 10%
• Toxins in excess of the Permissible Exposure Level
• Confined Space, collapse, or any other situation recognized to be unstable and could cause injury or death