California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

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• California Department of Forestry and Fire
  Protection

Safety Vest Policy
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Hi-Visibility Traffic Apparel
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Home Town Hero Killed at Traffic Accident

• CHP Officer Killed While Directing Cars On Hwy 60
  Freeway Accident
• HACIENDA HEIGHTS 12-15-2008
• A California Highway Patrol officer was
  fatally struck by a vehicle as he directed
  traffic at the scene of a previous accident on
  the rain-slick Pomona (60) Freeway in Hacienda
  Heights early Monday, authorities said. The
  fatal crash, reported at 420 a.m., happened west
  of Azusa Avenue,

Two vehicles collided and one of them then hit
the officer, who was airlifted to a hospital
where he was pronounced dead. The officer was
identified as Joseph Sanders, 29, who had been
with the CHP for 14 months. He left behind a wife
and children.
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Click on screen to play video
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National Unified Goal Responder Safety
Personnel Visibility
One of the three objectives of the National
Unified Goal (NUG) for Traffic Incident
Management is Responder Safety.
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US Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA) 23 CFR (Code of
Regulation) Part 634

• All workers within the right-of-way of a
  Federal-aid highway who are exposed either to
  traffic (vehicles using the highway for purposes
  of travel) or to construction equipment within
  the work area shall wear high-visibility safety
  apparel.
• 23 CFR Part 634.3

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FHWA 23 CFR Part 634 (Nov 2008)
As of November, 2008, a new Federal law known
as 23 CFR Part 634 requires use of
high-visibility apparel
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• Worker means people on foot whose duties place
  them within the right-of way of any
  Federal-funded highway, including
• highway construction and maintenance forces
• survey crews utility crews
• responders to incidents within the highway
  right-of-way
• firefighters and other emergency responders when
  they are not directly exposed to flame, fire,
  heat, and/or hazardous materials and
• law enforcement personnel when directing traffic,
  investigating crashes, and handling lane
  closures, obstructed roadways, and disasters
  within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid
  highway. 23 CFR Part 634.2

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Firefighters or other emergency responders
working within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid
highway and engaged in any other types of
operations shall wear high-visibility safety
apparel.
The Incident Commander is ultimately responsible
for ensuring that firefighters and other
emergency responders are wearing high-visibility
safety apparel when appropriate.
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• CAL FIRE POLICY 1728.6
• High Visibility Safety Apparel (Vests)
• As required by federal regulation 23 CFR Part
  634, personnel engaged in operations on or within
  the right-of-way of any Federal-aid highway must
  don ANSI/ISEA 107, 2004 Class 2 or 3 compliant
  high visibility garments (vests). In addition to
  Federal-aid highways, personnel engaged in
  operations on or within the right-of-way of any
  roadway or highway open to public travel will don
  high visibility garments (vests). Any current
  ANSI/ISEA compliant garment which meets or
  exceeds the 107, 2004 standards will be an
  acceptable substitute. Personnel donning ANSI
  compliant high visibility garments (vests) must
  do so according to the apparel manufacturers
  recommendation and must be aware of any and all
  limitations in the application and use of such
  garments.

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• CONT
• Personnel are exempt from donning the high
  visibility garments (vests) when exposed to
  flame, fire, heat source, hazardous materials
  and/or when they are exposed to hazardous
  conditions where the use of such garments may
  increase the risk of injury to such personnel.
  Examples of such hazardous conditions may
  include, but not be limited to fire suppression
  activities, hazardous materials
  investigation/mitigation, vehicle extrication,
  and technical rescue such as swift water,
  over-the-side, and confined space. As soon as the
  hazardous condition is mitigated, personnel must
  don the high visibility garment (vest) for the
  remaining duration of the incident.

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• CONT
• Examples of operations requiring the donning of
  high visibility garments (vests) may include, but
  not be limited to roadside medical aids, public
  service assists, traffic control, and work
  projects. Additionally, a designated and
  dedicated Lookout, should always be posted when
  personnel are in close proximity to any vehicular
  traffic.

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Typical European crash scene
EMS
PD
Fire/Rescue
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Common U.S. crash scene
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As of November 24, 2008 this is non-compliant
traffic control safety apparel!
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Highway Safety Apparel Classifications
Class I
Class II
Class III
ANSI 107 Standard
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Class 1 vest in use by airport baggage handler
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Shortcoming of a Class I vest No side coverage
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and the shortcoming of wearing NO Vest!
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ANSI 107 Class II vest High-visibility green
body with red trim, or
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Optional 5-Point Breakaway Velcro Closures
ANSI 107 Class II vests with High-visibility
red/orange body with green trim
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U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway
Administration February 2008 we reviewed the
ANSI/IISEA 207- 2006 public safety vest standard
very carefully and found this standard
compatible with the ANSI/ISEA Class
II requirements for night-time visibility.
ANSI has a second vest standard the ANSI 207
Public Safety Vest
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ANSI 207 High-Visibility Vest
ANSI 107 High-Visibility Vest
Note shorter length to allow access to items on
belt
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A Class III garment has sleeves
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Class III jacket, shirt, pants ensemble
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Vests can be pre-donned over turnout coats then
taken off if responding to a fire call.
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Vests may be a concern at car fires during
extrications, or at hazmat incidents
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CAL FIRE employees engaged in emergency
operations that directly expose them to flame,
fire, heat, and/or hazardous materials shall not
wear retro-reflective high visibility vests over
NFPA 1971 compliant turn-out gear.
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While wearing protective clothing, under exposure
to fire situations, firefighters must remain in
protected area on highway. When the coat comes
OFF, the vest goes ON.
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Do Not Wear the Vest

• When a CAL FIRE employee is involved in vehicle
  extrication operations and a NFPA 1971 compliant
  turn-out coat is worn as the proper level of PPE.

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Do Not Wear the Vest

• When a CAL FIRE employee is directly engaged in
  the actual extinguishment of a wildland fire and
  the employee is exposed to flame, fire, high heat
  and the CAL FIRE compliant nomex wildland
  ensemble is being worn as the proper level of
  wildland PPE.

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Do Not Wear the Hi Visibility Vest

• When a CAL FIRE Peace Officer is engaged in an
  emergency incident, where the high visibility
  vest would increase the conspicuity of that
  officer and thereby compromise the cover and
  concealment of that officer, to the detriment of
  that officers safety, or

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Do Not Wear a Hi-Visibility Vest

• When a CAL FIRE Peace Officer is involved in a
  high risk potential adversarial or
  confrontational role and the high visibility
  vest would interfere with and/or compromise the
  officers ability to protect him/herself.

Click on photo to view video
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CAL FIRE Vest Specifications

• Product Requested
• ANSI-107 Highway Safety Vests for Emergency
  Responders that meet the following
  specifications
• Class 2, Level 2 ANSI Red mesh with contrasting
  silver/lime-yellow material and silver reflective
  stripes using 3M Scotchlite reflective
• One Pen Paper utility pocket on left chest
  integrated into vest design with contrasting
  color microphone tabs on each lapel area.
• Tear-away Velcro feature at both shoulders, both
  sides, front chest,
• One size fits all design, L to 3XL. (special
  order Size 4XL - 5XL at additional cost)
• 1- American flag patch on left chest
• The word" FIRE" printed on right vertical stripe
  in all upper case letters
• "CAL FIRE" printed on silver reflective patch on
  back of vest in all upper case letters except for
  the letter c. All text in black ink.

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Review

• The intent of FHWR 23CFR Part 634 and CAL FIRE
  Policy 1728 is to decrease the likely hood of
  employee injury and maintain free flow of
  vehicular traffic by requiring CAL FIRE employees
  whose duties place them on or in close proximity
  to a roadway by wearing high-visibility safety
  apparel.

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REMEMBER
If your feet are on the street Your vest is on
your chest!