I. Overview

A. It is the policy of the Diamond Springs - El Dorado Fire Protection District to permit trainees to accompany district personnel in the course of their regular duties. This program is intended to be educational for the trainee.

B. For the purposes of this policy, a trainee is defined as a person in training to be an emergency responder, either for this agency or another, who is insured by their employer.

II. Responsibility

A. All ride-alongs must be approved by the duty Captain or the duty chief.

B. The individual requesting a ride-along shall obtain permission from the Duty Captain with reasonable notice in order to avoid scheduling conflicts. The Duty Captain shall determine what constitutes reasonable notice. The shift's regular and emergency duties will have scheduling preference.

C. The rider shall wear the uniform and/or protective clothing provided by their sponsoring agency. The Duty Captain shall have the authority to deny any ride-along for any individual who, in the opinon of the Captain, is not appropriately attired.

III. Procedures

A. When a ride-along occurs, it will be documented in the following manner:

1. The ride-along will be documented in the Station 49 log book. The log entry shall include the rider's name.

2. The rider shall be included in the run report of any incident to which the rider responds. A rider who does not have an assigned "81--" number shall be entered as 8198 or 8199.

3. Training for riders from this agency who have assigned personnel numbers shall be documented in the training database.

B. Ride-alongs will normally be permitted between the hours of 0800 and 2000. The Duty Captain will have discretion to limit or extend the duration of the ride-along for any reason.

C. Riders will be briefed prior to actually riding along.

1. Instructions must be given to riders to prepare them for hazardous situations.The Duty Captain shall clearly define to riders what limitations will be placed on their actions and activities at incidents. Specific attention should be given to the following:

a) Incidents occurring on the roadway.

b) Incidents involving fires.

c) Incidents involving violent crimes.

d) Need for universal precautions.

2. Riders must be educated about patients' rights to confidentiality.

3. A safety briefing shall be conducted with the rider prior to responding to any incident.

IV. Officer Discretion

A. The Duty Captain shall have discretion to approve, alter, deny or terminate any ride-along at any time to meet the needs of the district and ensure safety.

B. Chief Officers have the authority to overrule the Captain's decision. However, it is the intent of this policy to place the principle responsibility with the Captain. Decisions by Chief Officers to countermand a Captain's decision made in compliance with this policy shall not be taken lightly.

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