Protective Clothing And Equipment

Purpose

To define and set standards for the type and use of protective clothing and equipment, and to assure that incident response personnel respond to incidents in appropriate protective clothing so they are fully prepared to engage in incident activities in a safe manner.

Scope

The Protective Clothing & Equipment guideline is intended to provide all District personnel with a consistent protective clothing and equipment guideline.

Responsibility

It is the responsibility of all Fire District personnel to ensure that the intent of this order be followed.

Procedure

Definitions
  1. Protective clothing and protective equipment are defined as follows:
    Level "D" Protective Clothing
    Helmet with face shield
    Nomex hood
    Turnout coat
    Turnout pants
    Turnout boots
    Leather gloves
    Goggles
    Other protective clothing as issued or authorized
    Wildland: Nomex shirts, cotton pants, leather boots, wildland
    helmet, goggles, leather gloves.
    Medical: Latex gloves, Nomex jumpsuit, gown, mask, eye shield
    or goggles.
    Haz Mat: Class A and B protective clothing.
    Protective Equipment
    Self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
    Personal safety device (PSD)
    Other protective equipment as issued
  2. Cleaning of Level "D" Protective Clothing
    Protective clothing items including nomex hood, turnout coat, and turnout pants shall be cleaned a minimum of once a year; more often as needed. They will be washed at the administrative center in the machine provided for that purpose.
  3. Appropriate protective clothing shall be worn by response personnel when responding to emergency incidents. All members shall put on protective clothing prior to responding to an incident, not while in transit. If an alarm is received while in transit, the apparatus must stop at a safe location (when practical ) and personnel shall put on their protective clothing.
    EXCEPTIONS:
    1. Wearing of hearing protection devices may preclude wearing a fire helmet.
    2. Drivers may elect not to wear their turnout coat and gloves while responding.
    3. Company officers, at their discretion, may deviate from this requirement in cases of extremely long responses such as a Task Force assignment to another agency’s incident requiring a long response, etc.
    4. Command personnel may respond in their duty uniform.
  4. Appropriate protective clothing and equipment shall be worn at all times when
    operating inside an incident perimeter unless otherwise determined by Command. In situations where no guidelines have been provided, wear the highest appropriate level of protective clothing and equipment to assure personal safety. The following incident types identify the required level of protective clothing and equipment:
    1. Fires (structure, vehicle, dumpster, unknown type or non-classified fires)
      Protection Level: Level D protective clothing with SCBA. The removal of SCBA during structural firefighting overhaul operations will be determined by the incident commander. All power tool operations and forcible entry require goggles.
    2. Motor Vehicle Accidents
      Fire Personnel Protection Level: Level D Protective clothing and goggles with out SCBA shall be worn by all personnel operating power tools, hydraulic tools, or forcible entry tools. When doing patient care activities the turnout coat, helmet, and gloves may be removed if warranted.
      Medical Personnel Protection Level: Personnel whose sole duty is to provide medical care shall wear whatever protective equipment is necessary to assure personal safety during the incident.
    3. Technical Rescue Operations (Structural collapse or any rescue situation determined by IC or the Safety Officer)
      Protection Level: Level D protective clothing without SCBA; confined
      space activities may require SCBA. Protection levels shall be determined
      by the Incident Commander, Safety Officer, and/or Team Leader.
    4. Hazardous Materials
      Protection Level: Level D protective clothing. SCBAs are also required when potential of inhalation hazard exists. Level A or B may be determined by the HazMat Group Supervisor in consultation with HazMat Safety and the Incident Commander.
    5. Wildland Fires (brush, grass, barkdust, forest areas)
      Protection Level: Nomex shirt, cotton pants, leather gloves, helmet with goggles, boots.
    6. Medical Emergencies (non-vehicle related)
      Protection Level: Duty uniform or Nomex jumpsuite; latex gloves, eye protection, and gowns as needed. (refer to Communicable Disease Protocol)
  5. The Incident Commander may use discretion where exemptions to the above
    policy appear necessary, such as the removal of turnout coats during overhaul or when the use of protective clothing or equipment may compromise patient care, or when it is necessary to operate in close quarters where full protective clothing or equipment cannot be worn and safety of the firefighter is not unreasonably compromised.
  6. The only protective clothing or equipment authorized to be worn is that which has been issued or authorized by the District.