Policy 2111: Members Protective Clothing

POLICY #                                   2111                                              

COMMISSION CHAIR SIGNATURE:     s/b  Ken Eakin, Chair

EFFECTIVE DATE:           01/97 

REVISED DATE:               09/09/08

10/14/14

09/13/16

POLICY TITLE:                MEMBER PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

RESCINDS:                      SOP 7.14, 7.13

REFERENCE:                   WAC 296-305, SOG 3-1

1.0     PURPOSE

To provide equipment for the protection of firefighters while engaged in emergency operations.

2.0     FIRE DISTRICT TO PROVIDE PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

The Fire District shall provide protective clothing for members assigned as firefighters. Protective clothing shall be of a type approved by NIOSH, MESA, NFPA or as required by WAC 296-305. The District shall maintain a record of all protective clothing and equipment issued to each member. The following protective equipment shall be issued to each firefighter:

Turnout clothing (helmet, coat, pants, boots, gloves, hood, suspenders,    rescue rope bag, webbing, spanner wrench and hose strap)

Eye and Face Protection

Hearing Protection

Hand Protection

Foot Protection

                     Head Protection

                    Communications Device

Wildland Clothing (helmet, goggles, shirt, pants, gloves, gear bag)

                    Fire Shelter

                    SCBA Mask and carrying bag

3.0     FIREFIGHTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING

Each Firefighter is responsible for maintaining and wearing the protective equipment and clothing that is provided by the District. The member will be responsible for returning all equipment upon termination, suspension or leave. Members must return all equipment and verify it has been returned and checked into the Districts supply cache using the equipment issue form.  The District shall have the authority to withhold pay and benefits or bill individuals the replacement value until all Department property is returned.

4.0     WEARING OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHING 

             Firefighters engaged in fire suppression or hazardous conditions incidents shall wear a complete set of protective clothing commiserative to the task they are performing i.e. structural, wildland, medical incident or rehab work.  Firefighters reporting without a full complement of protective clothing may be assigned to a duty where full protective clothing is not required.  The Incident Commander or Company Officer decides what level of PPE must be worn for each incident type or specific task at the incident.

 5.0     APPROVED CLOTHING FOR MEDICAL INCIDENTS

           Closed toed shoes with blue EMS coveralls wildland gear, dual compliant coat with long pants, department uniform or structure gear are acceptable for responding to medical emergencies. If the incident poses a fire or hazardous atmosphere full structural protective clothing shall be used. Protective barriers such as masks and gloves shall be used to protect against blood borne pathogens. Decontamination procedures as established by the state and federal government shall be used after each incident to protect member against contagious diseases.

 6.0     APPROVED CLOTHING FOR MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISIONS

           Structure gear or dual compliant PPE shall be worn.  Members standing by with hose lines during extrication shall wear full structural protective clothing and SCBA with mask in the stand by position.  All personnel working on or near a roadway will wear an orange traffic vest for incidents that do not involve fire or heat.

 7.0     APPROVED CLOTHING FOR BRUSH/WILD LAND FIRES

          The following clothing for brush and wild land fires is approved:

                    a. Full turnout clothing for the first hour of the incident or,

          b. Nomex coveralls, leather or fire boots and helmet, gloves       or,

c. Wildland firefighting clothing or dual compliant gear, helmet, boots and gloves.

                    d. A fire shelter must be worn until the IC decides they are not necessary.

8.0     INSPECTION OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

          Protective clothing shall be inspected at not less then one hundred eighty day intervals.  Inspection forms must be filed in each member’s station training file.

9.0           WASHING PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

Protective Clothing shall be washed when excessive staining or dirt/soot build up is evident.  Due to known carcinogens being present in smoke and soot Members are encouraged to wash their turnouts after each exposure to smoke and structure fires.  Members shall not wash PPE at home; the District maintains wash facilities for PPE.  After washing a turn out cleaning record form must be completed and placed in member’s training file. 

10.0       INVENTORY

Protective clothing not currently assigned to members will be recorded and tracked in the District inventory system under “cache”

11.0       DAMAGED PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

Protective clothing that is damaged or contaminated beyond repair shall be surplused then unassembled, cut up and bagged for pickup by a solid waste company.

12.0       TRAINING PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

Protective clothing that has been retired for reasons other than damage or contamination, yet remain in serviceable condition, will be permanently marked “for training use only” and allocated for non-live fire training.