HomeMy WebLinkAbout7003_05 PAS SOP 202412137003.05 Personnel Accountability System Standard
Operating Procedure (Pilot)
Implemented: January 2020 Revised: December 2024 Next Review: December 2027
This procedure is for internal use only and does not enlarge an employee’s civil liability in any way. The procedure
should not be construed as creating a higher duty of care, in an evidentiary sense, with respect to third party civil claims against employees. A violation of this procedure, if proven, can only form the basis of a complaint by this department for non-judicial administrative action in accordance with the laws governing employee discipline.
Related Policies: Chief’s Memo 2019-052, PAS and PAR Standard Operating Procedure Pilot Program.
Applicable HI Statutes:
I. PURPOSE A. To provide a mechanism for effective tracking of Hawai‘i Fire Department. (HFD)
personnel to ensure safety and accountability during emergency response.
B. Personnel accountability for all HFD employees, at any time, during operations with a high risk profile, including but not limited to: structural firefighting, wildland firefighting, search/technical rescue, hazardous materials response, and active shooter/MCI events.
C. Improve resource management, safety and accountability within the ICS structure. II. APPLICABILITY A. Individual:
1. All emergency operations personnel are tasked with following this policy. Freelancing is prohibited. Follow check-in/out procedures as detailed below. 2. Maintain face to face, visual, and/or radio communications at all times. a. Keep supervisors informed at all times appropriate to risk profile of assigned task. b. This includes number of personnel, location, Conditions, Actions, and Needs
(CAN report). 3. At start of duty, PAS IDs shall be labeled with vehicle assignment and turned in to officer. a. Personnel shall sign out portable radios.
b. Conduct personal inspection of PPE. c. Check assigned SCBA and personal SCBA mask daily, inclusive of air supply, battery life, and PASS. B. Company Officers:
1. Know assignment, location, number of personnel at all times. 2. Ensure routine compliance with policy. 3. Ensure all personnel PAS ID tags are labeled with vehicle assignment and on proper collection ring. 4. Require all personnel to have portable radio on them at all times.
5. Conduct regular, effective training evolutions incorporating the PAS, PAR, MAYDAY protocols, and Rapid Intervention. 6. Training shall be documented on the HFD Monthly training report and as required on Target Solutions.
C. Accountability Officer/Division/Group Supervisors: 1. The Accountability Officer (AO) role shall be retained by the IC until the assignment is delegated.
7003.05 Personnel Accountability System Standard
Operating Procedure (Pilot)
Implemented: January 2020 Revised: December 2024 Next Review: December 2027
2. The AO shall be responsible for tracking and accounting for all personnel checked in on an incident. This may include entry control functions, tracking of air supplies, work time, and other functions as needed.
3. Division/Group Supervisors will maintain accurate tracking of crews/individuals
assigned. These individuals must be in the same assigned areas and maintain close supervision and communications at all times. D. Incident Commander (IC):
1. Implement ICS to maintain proper span of control. Responsible for overall responder
accountability. 2. Maintain an awareness of the function and location of all companies assigned to an incident. 3. The IC shall provide for control of access to the emergency scene.
4. The IC shall implement the PAS appropriate to the size and scope of the incident.
E. Battalion Chiefs and Volunteer Training Captains: 1. Ensure regular compliance and proficiency of all subordinate personnel utilizing the PAS at multi company evolutions and alarms.
III. PROCEDURES A. Personnel Accountability System (PAS): The IC shall implement the PAS at all multi-company alarms appropriate to the level of established ICS structure. Incidents of small scale such as 2 or 3 companies shall at a
minimum collect the tags of operating personnel and keep them at the designated Incident
Command Post, (ICP). B. Procedure: 1. Two tag system consisting of HFD issued Personnel Accountability System (PAS) ID
cards.
2. One tag affixed to collection ring of their assigned apparatus prior to response. Members shall check in with their supervisor upon beginning tour of duty. a. Officers may use discretion in retaining all subordinate ID’s on their apparatus or on each responding unit.
b. The officer is ultimately responsible for knowing the whereabouts of their
subordinate personnel and their PAS ID tags at all times. c. For example, E11 and M11 PAS IDs would be retained by Company 11 Captain and Medic 11 FMS, respectively. 3. Grease pencil shall be used for marking ID cards of personnel who change apparatus,
such as EMTs assigned to medic units, HAZMAT/Rescue, etc.
a. Members shall mark daily vehicle assignment upon start of duty or each change of apparatus assignment. b. Officers shall exercise vigilance that this is adhered to during various on-duty changes or assignment.
c. Members going off duty shall retrieve tags from their officer upon being relieved.
7003.05 Personnel Accountability System Standard
Operating Procedure (Pilot)
Implemented: January 2020 Revised: December 2024 Next Review: December 2027
C. Levels of Accountability: 1. Level 1 Accountability a. On arrival, primary collection ring turned in to Command/ICP or accountability
officer/location at check-in. Many times, this location will be the first arriving
apparatus if not designated otherwise. b. Most response scenarios will only require the PAS be established this far. This shall be referred to as Level 1 accountability. 2. Level 2 Accountability
a. Prior to entering “danger areas”, the second tag shall be turned in. Examples
include any IDLH atmosphere, HOT/WARM HAZMAT control zone, confined space, search and rescue (SAR) search area, or high-rise staging area (two floors below fire floor). This level of accountability will be referred to as Level 2 accountability.
b. Established at IC discretion.
c. Teams making any sort of IDLH entry shall communicate the location of HFD PAS IDs prior to initiating assignment. i. Example: “Fire Control, Engine 1 on scene, Bayshore Towers, heavy black smoke showing from penthouse. Engine 1 is the ICP at the FDC. Switching
all operations to Hilo 2.” Initial accountability location would be Engine 1.
ii. “Fire Control, Engine 1 entering penthouse for search and suppression, Ladder 2 is RIC. 14th floor is the staging and accountability location. Making entry with 4 personnel.” iii. Company 1 would leave their tags at the staging area with equipment and
Ladder 2 Captain. Tags could be left at the accountability location at
discretion of the officer making entry provided his RIC is close enough to assist, but not yet at the accountability location (This example is only applicable to this particular location and scenario. Company officers shall appropriately apply these principles fitting to each situation.)
d. As other crews arrive, they would turn in their collection rings to Engine1 FEO. A
status board for the BC vehicle would then be implemented when appropriate. e. When a unit is assigned RIC, the officer shall collect all secondary tags of assigned members. f. The RIC officer shall leave those tags either at the prior designated entry
point/accountability location, with the IC, or at the point of entry allowing the
fastest access to the down firefighter(s) during a MAYDAY. g. The RIC officer shall announce the location of these tags prior to making entry to the IC. h. The IC shall move all other operations to another radio frequency.
i. The IC shall designate an additional RIC team, and request more resources as
needed. j. In certain scenarios, it may be more practical for an entry team to leave their secondary tags at their own point of entry or their apparatus. In this case the IC should already have their primary personnel accountability tags.
k. The entry team shall announce their number of personnel, entry location, assignment, and location of secondary tags prior to entry. This could be at the pump panel with the FEO for example if they are opposite and remote of the main entry point.
7003.05 Personnel Accountability System Standard
Operating Procedure (Pilot)
Implemented: January 2020 Revised: December 2024 Next Review: December 2027
l. The goal is that all personnel are accounted for. Leave your tag with an officer if you are entering any IDLH environment. Operational flexibility shall be allowed within the confines of this policy. Tag location and personnel entering must be
known to the IC via their superior officer through the chain of command.
m. Status rings for the “danger area” and command post shall be collected prior to leaving. This component of check out is critical to prevent risking other personnel searching for individuals or companies who have simply departed the scene. All individuals and officers are responsible for retrieving tags and making departure
known to the IC/Accountability Officer.
3. Level 3 Accountability a. Multi-Agency response shall be referred to as a Level 3 accountability. The Level 3 designation signifies an interagency response, yet may also include Level 2 Accountability for “danger areas”, IDLH, etc.
b. This method further requires formal ICS check in and IAP/Situational Report
briefing. c. At present time, outside agency personnel will be issued hand written PAS ID cards with name, agency, and vehicle assignment. d. Hand written cards shall be accepted common practice unless a functional ID
printing station has been established.
4. Volunteers/Members arriving POV a. Report to the ICP for check-in and briefing. The IC or designated accountability officer (AO) shall affix tags to the status board under the division/group they are
assigned to prior to engaging in operations.
b. The second PAS ID will be turned in to the division/group supervisor upon request. c. No member shall enter into operations without reporting to the ICP or designated accountability officer. Accountability tag must be turned in prior to assignment.
5. Large Incidents of Acute Nature a. Example: BT17 is arriving at a brushfire in District 8 with structure being threatened. Company 8 and 9 are fully engaged on western flank in structural protection. BT17 is directed by Captain 8 to suppress a fast moving finger on
eastern flank. BT17 shall acknowledge order, and radio Captain 8 with number of
personnel, and access point. Tags shall be taken to ICP or left at an accountability location at the earliest opportunity. b. These types of exceptions to the rule should be the exception and not the norm. Decisions to circumvent the normal procedure should be done with the awareness
that safety is being compromised only for a benefit which outweighs calculated
risk. D. Accountability Components: 1. The Accountability System should include but not necessarily be limited to the
following accountability components: a. Two issued HFD ID tags with single hole punch, and key ring. b. First HFD PAS ID, PRIMARY- Collection carabiner for Company or each apparatus at Officer’s discretion
7003.05 Personnel Accountability System Standard
Operating Procedure (Pilot)
Implemented: January 2020 Revised: December 2024 Next Review: December 2027
c. Carabiner with HFD PAS ID, SECONDARY; and key ring affixed to left upper chest area to be collected at an Accountability Location prior to making entry. d. Appropriate labeling of Structural Helmets, Bunker Jackets, Wildland Helmets,
and Brush Jackets with last name of personnel.
e. Portable radios for all personnel. f. Use of “Emergency Traffic” radio transmissions and audible warning devices for immediate evacuation. g. MAYDAY procedures.
h. Conducting Personnel Accountability Reports (PAR).
i. Thermal Imagers. j. Designated RIC team for any IDLH entry team. k. Status board for command vehicles including BC, AC vehicles, Heavy Rescue/HAZMAT specialty vehicles, and Mobile Command unit.
l. Cache of blank tags for each vehicle/apparatus in an envelope containing
permanent marker and grease pencil for personnel who misplace tags, or for outside agency response personnel entering the incident area of operations, such as HFD, DOFAW, dozer operators, public works, etc.
E. MAYDAY – Radio Channel/Talk Group Assignments:
1. If a MAYDAY is called using the orange Emergency Alert Button (EAB), FCCC will answer the MAYDAY and confirm receipt by the IC. a. The IC shall deploy Rapid Intervention Crew to intervene in the MAYDAY. All other fire ground activities will continue unless otherwise ordered by the IC.
b. The IC should keep the MAYDAY on the current operating frequency and move
all other operations to another channel. c. It has been determined with FCCC that it is best to move to another operating channel instead of a tactical channel. The orange EAB button on our radios do not work on tactical channels.
d. For example, if there was a MAYDAY on Hilo 2, the IC may select to use
Hāmākua 2 for suppression operations. 2. A MAYDAY called simply by keying the mic and transmitting a MAYDAY without pushing the orange EAB button may not be heard by FCCC. a. In this case, the IC will receive and answer the MAYDAY.
b. The orange EAB button should be used in the event of a MAYDAY because it
takes over transmission priority. c. If unable to access the EAB, use all other means to transmit the MAYDAY. F. Interim Dispatch Protocol for EAB (MAYDAY) Activation:
1. Upon receiving an emergency alert tone and/or MAYDAY, it is the FCCC’s
responsibility to acknowledge the caller that their transmission has been received. The dispatcher shall advise other radio traffic and state, “All communications on (affected talk group) clear radio traffic. Radio ID#----, This Is Fire Control, we have received an emergency alert from your radio. Do you have an emergency?”
2. Dispatcher shall make contact to verify an emergency exists. 3. Dispatch shall notify IC. 4. MAYDAY or emergency will be directed by IC. Dispatch will assist and move radio traffic as directed.
7003.05 Personnel Accountability System Standard
Operating Procedure (Pilot)
Implemented: January 2020 Revised: December 2024 Next Review: December 2027
5. Dispatch shall advise IC if no contact is made. G. Terminating the Accountability System:
1. The Incident Commander reserves the right to terminate the Accountability System
based on the situation and risk profile of the incident. 2. Prior to termination, a final Personnel Accountability Report (PAR) shall be completed. 3. Tags shall be returned to respective units prior to clearing from the incident. Company
officers and/or unit leaders shall call over radio on return. “Engine 1A clear, returning
with 2 personnel, check out complete.” H. Lost HFD PAS ID Cards: 1. Personnel shall immediately report lost ID’s up the chain of command to the Training
Bureau for replacement.
2. A hand written ID shall immediately be created on a blank card displaying personnel name, rank, and assignment. I. Procedure to Complete Hand Written PAS ID Cards:
1. Using a grease pencil, write in the following on a blank PAS ID card.
a. Personnel’s name b. Rank c. Assignment d. Agency (if not HFD personnel)
J. Personnel Accountability System Evaluation and Continuity: 1. The system shall be reviewed every 4 months during the first year of operation. All major incidents where and After Action Review is conducted shall include a review of PAS implementation, execution, successes, and challenges and communicated through
proper channels for review.
2. Subsequent annual review of this policy shall be conducted by Fire Administration. --End--