Emergency Vehicle Operations

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Emergency Vehicle Operations

• Module II

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Departmental Policy And Prescribed Procedures

• Goal
• Understand departmental policies and procedures

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STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES

• Procedures that provide a standard set of actions
  that are the core of every fire fighting incident
  plan.

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5 Reasons for adopting SOPs

• 1. All personnel understand what is expected or
  required.
• a. Eligibility qualifications and
  certification requirements to become an emergency
  vehicle driver.
• b. Training schedule, expectations, and
  requirements.
• c. Annual maintenance of emergency vehicle
  driver certification.
• d. General conduct and obligations of an
  emergency vehicle driver.

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• 2. Compliance with all necessary requirements is
  identified
• a. compliance with organizational rules and
  requirements as they affect emergency vehicle
  drivers.
• b. Compliance with all federal, state, and
  local laws and administrative rules that relate
  to vehicle operations on public highways.
• c. Compliance with applicable NFPA and other
  recognized standards. (including but not limited
  to, 1002 Fire department vehicle driver/operator
  professional qualifications, and 1500 Firefighter
  occupational and safety standard)

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• 3. Pre-planned and agreed upon actions.
• a. Personnel assignments, including emergency
  vehicle drivers that may be driving on any
  specific emergency incident.
• b. Procedures for responding and arriving to
  a scene.
• When events occur the first in officer will not
  have to worry about the drivers ability to get to
  the scene and to know what his duties are upon
  arrival.

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• 4. Resource document upon which to base training
• a. Prospective drivers can identify the
  training requirements necessary to qualify as a
  driver on various types of vehicles.
• b. Drivers can be informed and trained to
  identify which vehicles respond to the various
  types of incidences.
• c. Existing drivers can identify the
  requirements for retaining certifications and
  expanding certifications to additional vehicles
  within the organization.

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• 5. Required anticipated actions.
• a. Critical maintenance and inspections of
  vehicles and equipment can be identified and
  scheduled.
• b. Pre-trip, response, and post-trip
  responsibilities can be identified and detailed.
• c. Inappropriate driving actions that might
  lead to accidents can be eliminated, or at least
  minimized.

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Authority And Responsibilities

• Goal
• Explain the authority and responsibility of the
  emergency vehicle operator.

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Authority

• The emergency vehicle driver is responsible for
  the crew members in the apparatus and there
  safety in route to and from a incident.
• The driver is also responsible to obey all
  traffic laws and drive with due regard for other
  drivers.
• This means just because you are driving with
  lights and sirens going, you do not always have
  the right of way.
• Other drivers may not see or hear you.

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Responsibilities

• The driver has many responsibilities to his crew
  and the public.
• Safe and defensive driving will protect the lives
  of the crew and the public at large.

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Pre - trip inspection

• 1. Approach vehicle and look for leaks.
• 2. Check all fluid levels in the engine
  compartment.
• 3. Start engine and listen for strange or unusual
  noises.
• Check gauges verifying normal ranges
• Check operation of all controls
• Check and adjust mirrors
• Check other cab controls
• Check braking system and low pressure alarm

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• 4. Check headlights, signal lights, warning
  lights, and audio devices.
• 5. Conduct walk around inspection (proceed in a
  clock wise motion around the vehicle)
• Check tire condition
• Insure all doors are closed and that they are
  operable.

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Other responsibilities include

• Rout Planning
• Minimizing travel time
• Minimizing accident exposures
• Dont follow to close
• Keep eyes on the road and watch for the
  unexpected
• Avoiding environmental and construction hazards
• Insuring all passengers are wearing seat belts
  and are seated before moving the apparatus.

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Driver selection, training, testing and licensing

• Goal
• Understand the reasons for driver selection,
  training, testing, and licensing.

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Selection

• Human aspects
• Attitude
• Immature, Show-off, Laid-back, or Comic
• Knowledge
• Individuals clear perception of truth, or fact.
• Mental Fitness
• Does the individual understand and respect the
  responsibility of driving an emergency vehicle
• Judgment
• Does the individual make good decisions .
  Excitability and Maturity should also be
  considered.
• Physical Fitness
• Free of physical impairments which might inhibit
  the ability to drive.

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• Age
• Age needs to be combined with physical fitness
  during evaluation
• Habits
• If poor habits exist, they must be identified and
  corrected by constant repetition of the proper
  action until they also become habit.
• Driving Characteristics
• How each individual coordinates and handles an
  emergency vehicle.

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Training

• Most organizations keep track of classes
  attended, and also have some type of evaluative
  system.
• Training records include
• Classes attended
• Classes successfully completed
• Certifications
• Licensing
• (Each individuals personnel file becomes a legal
  document)

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Licensing

• In recent years, a number of states have added
  one or more criteria for obtaining the privilege
  of driving heavy vehicles classified as
  commercial. It does not matter that they may also
  be classified as emergency vehicles.
• In some cases, specific exemptions may be granted
  for drivers of emergency vehicles.
• The perspective driver must take a driving course
  and pass a driving and written test given by the
  D.P.S (department of public safety)

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Testing

• If skills are not applied regularly competency
  decreases. That is why there is the need to
  recertify personnel
• If a driver is regularly driving an emergency
  vehicle under both emergency and non - emergency
  conditions, recertification may be nothing more
  than a check ride
• If a driver has not driven a specific emergency
  vehicle over 6 months and once in 18 months,
  recertification may involve a complete retesting
  on that vehicle.

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State and local laws governing emergency vehicle
response

• Goal
• Receive instruction on law enforcement emergency
  vehicle response. And understand the liability of
  driving an emergency vehicle.

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Special privileges of the emergency driver

• Permission to proceed through a red traffic
  signal or a stop sign.
• Ability to exceed the posted speed limit.
• Right to travel against the normal flow of
  traffic.
• While these are privileges remember if you act
  with disregard for other drivers you are liable
  for any damages are death of the other party.
• You are still bound by the traffic laws of that
  particular state or province.

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Legal Principles

• You as a driver are subject to all traffic laws
  unless a specific exemption is provided
• Exemptions apply only when responding to a true
  emergency
• True emergency - Situation in which there is a
  high probability of death or serious injury to an
  individual or significant property loss.
• You can be found criminally or civilly liable if
  involved in an accident, even when operating
  under exemptions.

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• Courts will usually judge the actions of the
  emergency driver on two primary considerations
• Was the emergency vehicle responding to a true
  emergency?
• Did the driver exercise due regard for the safety
  of others?
• Due regard - a reasonably careful person
  performing similar duties and under similar
  circumstances would act in the same manner.

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• To understand all the laws and exemptions given
  to drivers of an emergency vehicles, you must
  read up on all pertinent laws pertaining to the
  state of Texas.