Cibolo Fire Department

Standard Operating Guidelines

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

PURPOSE

To establish written procedures governing the selection, wearing, use and cleaning of personal protective clothing.

GENERAL INFORMATION

A. The Texas Commission on Fire Protection Personnel Standards and Education through legislative mandate, requires all regulated fire departments to furnish specific protective clothing to all fire suppression personnel of each individual department and requires each department to enforce the wearing of full protective clothing to all structural fires.

B. Members of the Fire Suppression Division shall be issued and are responsible for the care and cleaning of the following protective clothing:

1. Helmet with face shield.

2. Bunker Coat with sewn in liner.

3. Bunker Pants with sewn in liner.

4. Suspenders for Bunker Pants.

5. Knee Boots for Bunker Pants

6. Nomex Hood

7. Structural Firefighting Gloves

C. Members of the Fire Protection Division shall not modify, change or alter any issued protection clothing.

D. Any Damage to protective clothing shall be reported immediately to the individual’s immediate supervisor. A written report detailing the circumstances surrounding the damage may be required.

E. Theft or loss of any protective clothing items shall be reported immediately to the individual’s immediate supervisor and shall be accompanied with a written report, detailing the circumstances of the theft or loss, submitted through proper channels.

SELECTION AND PURCHASE

Selection of Structural Firefighting Ensembles will be based on the requirements of

A. NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Firefighting

B. NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program

C. Any applicable federal or state OSHA standards relating to structural firefighting ensembles

Our organization will ensure that the ensembles under consideration interface properly with other personal protective items with which they will be used.

Purchase requirements are as follows:

A. Purchase specifications shall be compliant with NFPA 1971

B. Purchase specifications shall require that manufacturers’ bids include substantiation of certification for each element and model stated in the bid.

C. The purchase specifications shall define the process for determining proper fit.

D. All bids submitted shall be compared against purchase specifications.

Upon receipt, all protective ensemble elements shall be inspected to ensure they meet their specifications and that they were not damaged during shipment. Quantity and sizes shall also be verified.

Each individual receiving Structural Firefighting Ensembles will examine all instructions, warranties and technical data that were received with the gear.

INSPECTION OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)

Each individual member will conduct a routine inspection of his or her PPE after each use. Each use means any time your PPE is worn or used for any reason including training sessions.

Any elements contaminated by hazardous materials or biological agents shall be decontaminated before any additional inspection is initiated.

Coats and Trousers shall be inspected for the following:

A. Soiling

B. Contamination from hazardous materials or biological agents.

C. Physical Damage such as rips, tears, cuts, charring, burn holes, melting or missing hardware and closures

D. Damaged or missing reflective trim

Hoods shall be inspected for the following:

A. Soiling

B. Contamination from hazardous materials or biological agents.

C. Physical damage such as rips, tears, cuts, charring and burn holes.

D. Loss of face opening adjustment.

Helmets shall be inspected for the following:

A. Soiling

B. Contamination from hazardous materials or biological agents.

C. Physical damage to shell such as cracks, crazing, abrasions, dents, bubbling, soft spots, warping or discoloration.

D. Physical damage to ear flaps such as rips, tears, cuts, charring and burn holes.

E. Damaged or missing components of face shield.

F. Damaged or missing components of suspension and retention system.

Gloves shall be inspected for the following

A. Soiling

B. Contamination from hazardous materials or biological agents.

C. Physical Damage such as rips, tears, cuts, charring, burn holes or melting.

D. Shrinking

E. Loss of elasticity or flexibility.

Footwear shall be inspected for the following:

A. Soiling

B. Contamination from hazardous materials or biological agents.

C. Physical Damage such as rips, tears, cuts, charring, burn holes or melting.

D. Exposed or deformed steel toe or shank.

E. Loss of water resistance.

Any and all problems noted during inspection of your PPE shall be immediately

brought to the attention of your supervisor on duty.

ROUTINE CLEANING AND DECONTAMINATION

Commercial dry cleaning shall not be used as a means of cleaning or decontaminating your PPE unless approved by the ensemble or element manufacturer.

After each use any PPE elements that are soiled shall receive routine cleaning.

The end user is responsible for the routine cleaning of their PPE.

The following cleaning process shall be used:

A. When possible initiate cleaning at the incident scene.

B. Brush off any debris.

C. Gently rinse off debris with water hose.

D. If necessary, scrub gently with soft bristle brush and rinse off again.

E. If necessary, spot clean using a utility sink.

F. Inspect for soiling and contamination and repeat the process if necessary.

SPECIALIZED CLEANING

Elements that are contaminated with hazardous materials or biological agents shall receive specialized cleaning as necessary to remove the specific contaminant(s).

Elements suspected to be contaminated shall be isolated, tagged and bagged. The

contaminated elements shall be removed from service until they can receive specialized cleaning as necessary to remove the specific contaminant(s).

STRUCTURAL FIRE OPERATIONS

A. All Fire Protection personnel, when responding to structural fire alarms shall wear the following protective clothing:

1. Issued helmet with face shield or Bourk Shield with goggles.

2. Issued bunker coat with liner.

3. Issued bunker pants with liner, boots and suspenders.

4. Issued structural firefighting gloves.

5. Issued Nomex hood.

B. Upon arrival, if no emergency exists, the Officer in Charge shall have the discretion to allow personnel to remove certain items of protective clothing.

C. Upon arrival, if fire suppression activities are required, personnel shall wear and not remove any protective clothing until the fire is out. Once the fire has been extinguished, the Officer in Charge shall have the discretion to allow suppression personnel to remove certain items of protective clothing.

D. During the overhaul phase of structural activities, personnel shall wear, as a minimum, the following protective clothing items:

1. Issued helmet with face shield or Bourk Shield with goggles.

2. Issued bunker coat with liner.

3. Issued bunker pants with liner, boots and suspenders.

4. Issued structural firefighting gloves.

E. After the overhaul phase has been completed, personnel entering the structure shall wear, as a minimum, the following protective clothing:

1. Issued helmet with face shield or Bourk Shield with goggles.

2. Issued bunker pants with liner, boots and suspenders.

3. Issued structural firefighting gloves.

OTHER FIRE RELATED AND EMS OPERATIONS

A. The station or company officer shall have the authority, at his discretion, to stipulate the type and amount of protective clothing, which shall be worn to a specific incident (other than structural). The station or company officer shall exercise “sound judgment” in these decisions and shall base such decisions on the following:

1. Experience

2. Nature of incident

3. Information received

4. Condition reports received prior to and during response

B. In known specific situations for which discretion is allowed, the proper protective clothing to protect against all foreseeable hazards shall be worn

C. It is the intent of these guidelines that no member shall cause a delay in any emergency operation by not being fully prepared to engage in the fire fighting or rescue activities in a safe manner.

APPARATUS DRIVER

Driver of the apparatus shall respond wearing the required helmet and coat until arrival at the scene of the incident. Upon arrival, and exposure hazard is present, all drivers shall immediately don the necessary protective clothing so that further operations as may be required shall be completed in a safe a manner as possible.

Note: Senior or ranking member can be assumed when Officer in charge or company officer is listed.