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Policy/Procedure

An Incident Safety Sector Officer shall be assigned at any working structural fire or any other incident deemed necessary by Fire Dispatch or the Incident Commander.

Assignment of an officer to the Safety Sector in no way diminishes the responsibility of each and every member to commit to safe work behaviors and to operate within standard guidelines at all times. Company officers carry an additional responsibility of ensuring that all members of their crew are operating in a safe manner. Chief Officers and sector officers must also insure that operations are conducted safely. Command is responsible for assigning a Safety Sector Officer. The Safety Sector Officer reports directly to Command and shall have full authority to alter, suspend, or terminate any condition or action they believe to be unsafe.

Establishing the Safety Sector:

1. The first arriving unit shall establish Command and provide a scene size-up for arriving crews. It is preferred that the initial Incident Commander be the first arriving officer other than a truck officer, firefighter or firefighter/paramedic, as they will assume the role of Safety Sector Officer, as defined below. If a truck or a unit which has a firefighter riding the seat arrives on the scene first, the next in officer shall assume command, if possible.

2. Upon arriving, the Battalion Chief shall assign the initial Incident Commander the position of Safety Sector Officer, after a face to face briefing regarding ongoing incident operations, sector assignments, and any safety concerns. This initial incident commander shall maintain the role of Safety Sector Officer until the arrival of Unit 134. In the event that Unit 134 is not assigned to the incident, the Safety Sector Officer will maintain that role until it is re-assigned by the Incident Commander.

• At the discretion of the Battalion Chief they may, in the event of a young or probationary attack crew, have the initial Incident Commander rejoin their crew and the Battalion Chief will assume the Safety role, along with Incident Command, until 134’s arrival.

3. Following this discussion, the Battalion Chief shall announce over radio that they are Command and announce the assignment of the Safety Sector Officer

• Example: “Battalion 1 will now be Fulton command, the officer of Engine 7 will now be Safety”) or (Example: “Battalion 1 is now Fulton Command and the officer of Engine 7 will be rejoining their crew on Attack”

4. Full protective clothing and a Safety Sector Officer vest for scene identification of this position shall be worn by all Incident Safety Officers.

Safety Sector Responsibilities:

1. The Safety Sector Officer shall begin their 360-degree scene survey of the incident and identify immediate safety concerns to command.

2. The Safety Sector Officer shall monitor radio traffic and observe crews to ensure safe fire ground operations are conducted according to the incident plan and Departmental procedures.

3. The Safety Sector Officer shall provide Command with frequent progress reports on safety related issues.

4. The Safety Sector Officer shall monitor the health and welfare of all personnel to ensure they are not overexerted, and to ensure they are rehabilitated in an effective manner according to Rehab procedures. Rehab Sector should be a component of the safety plan. Safety Sector Officers shall initiate the formal set-up of Rehab Operations when appropriate, according to Rehab procedure.

5. The Safety Sector Officer shall barricade dangerous areas on scene using yellow “Caution” (general public excluded) or red “Danger” (all personnel excluded) tape as required. The Safety Sector Officer shall secure utilities, continue to monitor the scene, and address all safety concerns.

6. During large-scale operations, it may be advisable to establish a Safety sector with multiple Safety Sector Officers positioned in geographically functional areas. All Safety Sector Officers will remain in liaison with Command to update and review the on-going incident action plan from their positions.

7. The Safety Sector Officer shall initiate “Emergency Traffic”, to advise personnel of specific dangers, if necessary.

There are three situations in which Safety Sector Officers shall intervene at an incident. The first is when life-threatening situations are identified; the second during non-life threatening situations that require immediate corrective action to prevent injury; and the third during the on-going incident planning process.

1. Life Threatening Situations:

• When life-threatening conditions or actions are identified in the opinion of the Safety Sector Officer, Command shall be notified to initiate the corrective action. In obvious life threatening situations that do not allow time for Command's intervention, the Safety Sector Officer shall immediately stop any action, or countermand any order, by direct and immediate intervention.
  
  
• Such action shall be taken with the understanding that the Safety Sector Officer works for Command and is accountable to Command for actions taken. Command shall be immediately advised of any direct intervention by the Safety Sector Officer under these circumstances. A change of strategy and or tactics by Command or sector officers may be required as a result of the Safety Sector Officer's actions. Sector officers shall be notified of hazards, safety corrections, or updated on the strategic plan, tactics, and objectives.
  
  
• The term “Emergency Traffic” shall preface all critical emergency notifications or alerts at an incident.

2. Non-Life Threatening Situations Requiring Immediate Correction:

• When a Safety Sector Officer identifies a practice or action of non-life-threatening consequence that may still have a detrimental impact on health, safety, tactics, or general scene operations, they shall directly address and correct the problem with the individual guilty of the practice.
  
  
• Most often this approach does not affect incident strategy and therefore does not require the immediate notification of Command. Corrective actions taken by the Safety Sector Officer shall be noted and brought to the attention of the corrected individual’s company officer, if appropriate. An individual’s continued or repetitive offenses shall be documented and formally investigated.

3. On-going Incident Planning:

• If not initially on the scene, the Incident Commander shall provide the arriving Battalion Chief an overview of their incident action plan, resources committed, the Safety Sector Officer’s identity, and specific details of any immediate safety concerns.
  
  
• The Safety Sector Officer shall ensure Command is aware of adjustments that affect overall scene operations, as well as the strategic plan, via frequent and timely progress reports.
  
  
• The Safety Sector Officer shall remain a part of the on-going planning process with Command and or the Operations Sector officer.

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