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Purpose
To provide a guideline whereby SJRFD members are required to wear high visibility personal protective apparel when working at an incident that places the member in or near moving traffic, including, but not limited to, vehicle collisions/injury crashes, extrications, fluid spills, dangerous conditions, and vehicle fires are typical situations where this policy is applicable.
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Background
In many of our incidents the exposure to the hazards of moving traffic are present for fire department personnel working on foot. This department will adopt and maintain a policy to ensure all members working in this type of hazardous environment will don and display appropriate high-visibility apparel as one of the measures necessary to protect life and limb in that environment. This policy should be considered only one part of a total safety program and all personnel operating in a high traffic environment must maintain a heightened state of situational awareness.
This Replaces POG #02-02-10, “Proper Use and Wear of Hi-Visibility Safety Apparel”, dated 2016/09/22.
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Policy Statement
1. Specifically, when the nature of the incident requires the member to work in or near moving traffic, the following personal protective apparel shall be worn:
a. Structural Fire Helmet with chin strap properly donned, visor lowered when appropriate.
b. ANSI 107-compliant Class II vest, Class III Highway Safety garment, or ANSI 207 Public Safety vest.
c. Departmentally issued CSA approved protective footwear.
d. Departmentally issued NFPA approved firefighting gloves.
2. If a member prefers to wear a structural turnout coat due to inclement weather (i.e., rain, cold, etc.), or is required to wear structural turnout gear due to duties assigned at the incident scene, the ANSI highway safety vest must be donned over the turnout coat. Turnout coats are not acceptable as high-visibility highway safety apparel when donned without the ANSI-compliant vest on the outside of the coat.
3. Structural bunker pants and boots may be worn in lieu of standard protective footwear.
Non-Vest Incidents
4. Several unique incident types may be encountered where the donning of a highway safety vest may actually increase risk of injury for the fire department member or where wearing of a vest may in fact be otherwise impractical. Under these limited situations, the requirement for donning ANSI-compliant vests by members directly involved in hazard area ‘Hot Zone” activities is modified.
5. The exemptions for wearing a highway safety vest applies only to members directly involved in activities within an established “Hot Zone” and only when the “Hot Zone” is protected from the hazards of moving traffic by apparatus blocking, lane closures, etc.
6. The required ANSI-compliant Highway Safety vest need not be worn when a member is required to:
a. Don structural PPE and SCBA to work in close proximity to a course of heat such as during suppression of a vehicle fire;
b. Don hazardous material personal protective ensemble to avoid potential exposure to chemicals or other contaminants, or
c. Don technical rescue PPE and/or equipment for a technical rescue incident such as extrication, high or low-angle rope rescue, swift water rescue, etc.
d. Wearing a departmentally approved “Incident Command” vest.
7. All members on-scene performing duties or involved at activities other than those listed above are required to don ANSI-compliant vests when working in or near moving traffic.
8. Members directly involved in source of heat, chemical, or technical rescue activities as listed above who complete their activities within the designated Hot Zone are required to don ANSI-compliant vests once their activities once the Hot Zone are completed or they leave the immediate “Hot Zone” area of the incident scene.
9. Platoon Chiefs will ensure this policy is adhered to at the station, unit, and incident level. |
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Approvals
Fire Chief/Director
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Responsibility
St. John's Regional Fire Department
POG # 02-02-10
Approved By:
___________________________ _______________
Jerry F. Peach Date
Fire Chief
(Director of Regional Fire & Emergency Services)
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Appendix/Appendices
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