Following are the Tupelo Fire Department guidelines for wearing protective clothing. These policies apply to all members whether line or staff. Only protective clothing items supplied by the Tupelo Fire Department shall be worn, unless approved by the Chief of the Department and the Safety Officer.
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING DEFINED:
* Helmet with shield (special provisions may be made for special operations or Chief Officers)Full protective clothing shall worn when responding to and working inside the Incident Perimeter as defined in SOG 5.6 at emergency incidents. Exceptions are drivers or fire fighters operating equipment in an area where their safety will not be affected. This exception is left to the discretion of the Incident Commander.
* Protective hood tucked into collar
* Protective coat with collar turned up
* Protective pants
* Boots
* Gloves
* PASS Device
* SCBA (where indicated in SOG)
* PASSPORT System
Protective hoods must be utilized (protecting head, neck, and ears) when SCBA facepiece is in place, using air. The tail of the hood must be placed inside the neck of the coat. Protective hoods must be readily available (on person) when SCBA is being worn and ready for use.
Faceshields/goggles must be utilized any time the need for eye protection seems apparent, and SCBA is not being utilized, such as during overhaul, when operating hand or power tools, etc.
Gloves must be worn when engaged in training/working with hose and ladders, when using hand or power tools, and other situations where injuries to the hand are likely to occur.
In specific situations for which no guidelines have been provided, the proper protective clothing, to protect against all foreseeable hazards, must be worn.
The use of protective coat, hood, and SCBA during lengthy overhaul operations, with a safe atmosphere, will be at the discretion of a Safety Officer or each company officer if a Safety Officer is not on the scene.
The following protective clothing shall be worn by firefighting personnel while responding to all fire alarms:
* Protective coatDrivers and Command personnel should dress so that they can safely control their apparatus/vehicle.
* Protective pants
* Helmet (If riding in an unenclosed position)
If in quarters, all members shall dress accordingly, prior to response.
Out of quarters responses may require personnel to dress prior to response or at the fire scene. At no time should members remove their seat belts to dress while responding. The company officer should maintain an awareness of these types of situations and all members to dress properly prior to engaging in firefighting activities.
Company officers may use their discretion to regulate this in terms of unusual circumstances such as extremely long responses, or when it appears inevitable that the company officer will assume Command, extreme environmental conditions, etc.
It is the intent of this guideline that no member shall cause a delay in any firefighting operation by not being fully prepared to engage in firefighting activities in a safe manner, upon arrival.
Protective clothing (coats and pants) is designed in a three layer system: The outer shell (nomex), the moisture barrier (Gortex), and the inner thermal barrier. A common misconception on the part of many firefighters is that the inner thermal barrier is a "winter liner". The inner thermal barrier is not a winter liner, it a vital layer in your protective clothing system.
Under no circumstances should the inner thermal barrier be removed from your protective clothing. This is considered a major violation of the Department's Safety Policies.
All Company Commanders should inspect their company's protective clothing for defects and wear weekly, and request replacement immediately for hazardous defects.
All units of the Emergency Services Division has been issued Personal Protective Equipment Kits (PPE). These kits consist of:
* Impervious gownsIt is imperative that first responders realize that the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is crucial to the on going safety of the members of the Tupelo Fire Department when responding to automobile accidents and/or medical calls. In evaluating the importance of PPE, emergency responders must weigh the risk of not using PPE against the benefits of choosing to use it. A risk is defined as the chance that an undesirable or harmful event will occur as a result of actions taken in relation to a hazard. A benefit is the positive outcome of actions. In the delivery of medical care, a reasonable risk versus benefit analysis clearly indicates the need for PPE at all incidents, since response personnel have high potential for direct contact with blood or other body fluids while performing assigned task.
* Latex protective gloves
* Biohazard waste bag
* Face shield
* Face mask
* Head cover
PPE provides a barrier between response personnel and potentially infectious materials. Using PPE consistently and correctly is one of the best ways fire personnel can reduce their risk of contracting a communicable disease in the field.
There may be times when members feel that they do not have time to put on personal protective equipment. When this situation arises, TAKE THE TIME, if you don't, you may be signing your death warrant. It is presumptuous to think you can determine when it is the time not to take proper precautions.
PPE is considered appropriate
if:
Under normal conditions it does not permit blood or other potential infectious materials to pass through to or reach the members work clothes, undergarments, skin, eyes, mouth, or other mucous membranes.Emergency incidents that have the potential for extensive contact with blood or other body fluids require the use of protective clothing. In most cases, general work clothes or uniforms should not be substituted for PPE. An exception is structural firefighting clothing, which provides adequate body protection from most exposures.
In the field, members
should become accustomed to using personal protective equipment routinely
to guard against transmission of communicable diseases. PPE encompasses
protective clothing and equipment for the hands, face, and body, such as
gloves, mask, face shields, protective eye wear, resuscitation equipment
and fluid resistant gowns and coveralls. The purpose of PPE is to protect
members of the department from contact with blood and other body fluids.
Members of the Tupelo Fire Department are to use appropriate protection
for each situation encountered. PPE shall be used whenever there is a potential
for exposure to body fluids or other infectious materials.
If bunker gear or turnout gear should become soiled with body fluids, arrangements should be made with the Assistant Chief to have the turnout gear brought to Central Fire Station and cleaned immediately.
It is the policy of the Tupelo Fire Department that all personnel expected or likely to respond to, and function in areas of atmosphere contamination, shall be equipped with, and trained in the proper use and maintenance of the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
High Visibility vest shall be worn by all members not wearing turn out coats when working in or around streets, roads, intersections, or highways, and/or any other time the possibility exists of being struck by a vehicle.
Driver/operators shall wear turn out coats or high visibility vests at all times when operating the pump, except when the scene is totally free of moving vehicles.
Personnel riding Unit Numbers 51-02, 51-04, 51-05, 51-06 in the jump seat area to wear hearing protection at all times. The standard requires that hearing protection be provided for all personnel riding on fire apparatus when subject to noise in excess of 90 dBA.
Personnel working with power tools or equipment shall use hearing protection.
Hearing protection shall not be utilized when such protective equipment would create an additional hazard to the user.