I. PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND SELF CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS

A. The fire service has been described as one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States. Therefore, personal protection and safety must be of paramount concern. At the legislative level, United States and California Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHA and CALOSHA) and the National Fire Protection Association have written protective clothing and equipment regulations regarding fire department operations in an effort to ensure personnel safety (29 CFR 1910, 29 CFR 1910-156; California General Industry Safety Orders, Title 8, Article 10.1; NFPA 1500). The following policies and standard operating procedures shall apply to all personnel.

B. DEFINITIONS

1. FULL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING - Full Protective Clothing includes the following items; fire helmet with face shield or goggles, Nomex or PBI protective hood, turnout coat, turnout pants, turnout or structural firefighter boots, firefighter gloves. To meet the intent of this policy, all items of protective clothing shall be worn properly buttoned or fastened.

2. WILDLAND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING - Wildland Protective Clothing includes the following items; wildland fire helmet with goggles and neck shield (structural fire helmet may be worn), wildland fire shirt, wildland fire pants, firefighter gloves, fire shelter, heavy duty lace-type work boots with non-slip soles and heels that provide ankle support and leather tops not less than eight inches in height measured from the bottom of the shoe heel. To meet the intent of this policy, all items of protective clothing shall be worn properly buttoned or fastened. Fire shirts shall be worn with the sleeves rolled down.

3. MINIMUM PROTECTIVE CLOTHING - Minimum Protective Clothing includes the following items; fire helmet with face shield or goggles, turnout coat or wildland fire shirt, fire resistive pants (wool, Nomex, Flamex, FR cotton), OSHA structural firefighter uniform boots or boots as outlined in wildland protective clothing (above), firefighter gloves. To meet the intent of this policy, all items of protective clothing shall be worn properly buttoned or fastened.

II. USE OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHING WHILE RESPONDING

A. The appropriate protective clothing shall be worn by fire suppression personnel while responding to fire, extrication and hazardous material alarms. Apparatus operators are exempt from wearing turnout clothing while enroute if they feel it hinders safe driving. In instances of exceedingly long responses in hot weather, company officers have the discretion to relax this requirement.

B. Helmets are not required while riding in a closed cab apparatus.

C. When responding from quarters, all members shall dress accordingly prior to leaving the station.

D. It shall be the company officer's discretion to regulate the donning of protective clothing if an apparatus is out of quarters and/or in motion when dispatched.

E. When responding to medical aid calls it shall be the company officer's discretion as to the wearing of protective clothing.

III. USE OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AT INCIDENTS

A. ALL FIRES (Except Wildland fires) AND FIRE ALARMS, VEHICLE EXTRICATIONS, HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INCIDENTS (including gas leaks) - Full Protective Clothing shall be worn while engaged in the above operations.

B. WILDLAND FIRES - Wildland Protective Clothing with fire shelter shall be worn while engaged in suppression and/or mop-up operations.

C. VEHICLE ACCIDENTS, RESCUES INVOLVING ROPES AND/OR POWER EQUIPMENT (other than extrications) - Minimum Protective Clothing shall be worn while engaged in the above operations.

D. MEDICAL AIDS, SERVICE CALLS - Uniform of the day. Universal precautions as defined in the District's Injury and Illness Prevention Program are required for any patient contact. Helmets are encouraged at potentially violent incidents as a readily recognizable means for the public to discern fire personnel from police personnel. Helmets shall be worn when operating near moving vehicles such as emergencies in the street.

E. TRAINING, WORK DETAILS - Helmets, eye protection, and gloves are to be worn when working with hose, ladders, hand tools, and power tools when a reasonable expectation of hazard exists.

F. OFFICER DISCRETION

1). Officers have the authority to require personnel to wear any items of protective clothing at any time deemed necessary for personnel protection.

2). Once an incident has been stabilized, officers may use discretion to regulate the use of protective clothing in situations where exceptions to the above policies appear necessary.

3). An officer electing to relax protective clothing standards at an incident shall assume responsibility for that action.

IV. USE OF SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS AND PERSONAL ALARM DEVICES

A. The use of self-contained breathing apparatus with facepiece and personal alarm device is mandatory any time there is a reasonable expectation that personnel may come into contact with a contaminated atmosphere.

B. Self-contained breathing apparatus with facepiece and personal alarm device are required to be worn during all rooftop fire operations. It is highly recommended that at least one drop bag accompany each suppression or ventilation team operating above ground.

C. Officers have the authority to require the use of self-contained breathing apparatus at any time deemed necessary for personnel safety.

V. RESPONSIBILITY FOR COMPLIANCE

A. All personnel shall be held individually accountable for compliance to the standard operating procedures and policies contained herein. Officers shall additionally be held accountable for the compliance of their personnel to these procedures.

B. The intent of this standard is that personnel will be properly protected while working. Personnel shall comply with the provisions of this standard prior to taking any action on scene.

C. Violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action.

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