ROCKY HILL FIRE DEPARTMENT

STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE

Safety Committee

Purpose: The purpose of the safety committee shall be to conduct research, develop recommendations, and study and review matters pertaining to all aspects of safety within the fire department.

Enforcement will still remain with both the line and staff officers.

Policy: Committee Structure:

· The Fire Chief shall appoint a staff officer to serve as the Department Safety Officer.

· As part of his duties the Department Safety Officer shall chair a minimum of one safety committee meeting per month.

· The chairperson may call special meetings shall whenever necessary.

· The committee shall have one member serve as a recording secretary, who will post the minutes in each station.

· Each Company shall elect one member to serve the program for a two-year period.

· Each Company Captain shall select one officer to serve with the appointed member.

· Written notification of the appointment(s) shall be sent to the committee chairperson.

Responsibilities:

Fire Chief

· The Chief of the Department is responsible for the overall effectiveness of this program.

· The Chief shall appoint a staff officer to serve as the Department Safety Officer.

Department Safety Officer

· The DSO shall serve as the chairperson of the safety committee.

· The DSO shall maintain all records associated with the committee and shall make these available to any member upon request.

· The DSO will submit any recommendations, which the committee suggests to the fire chief for review and possible implementation.

· The DSO shall implement a program that will allow for prompt reporting of accidents, hazardous conditions, or near misses.

· The DSO shall put into place procedures to allow for the reporting of safety related issues.

· The DSO shall issue a detailed report annually on fire department accidents, injuries, illnesses, and exposures. This report shall be made available to the members in a sanitized version.

Committee

· The committee shall analyze safety and health hazards and will develop corrective actions to deal with these hazards.

· The committee shall develop corrective recommendations that result from accident investigations.

· On a quarterly basis, the committee shall choose a safety related topic and research and distribute the associated safety and health information for the education of the department members.

Station Officer

· As part of the Officer’s monthly report, he shall review the previous safety committee meeting minutes as well as review the monthly safety topic. Documentation of the safety briefing, including attendee names shall be submitted to the DSO for inclusion in the yearly report.

Incident Investigation

· Upon notification of an incident, the DSO shall begin an immediate investigation into its cause. The Company Captain shall also assist with the investigation.

· Written statements shall be required from all individuals involved.

· If the incident involves a motor vehicle, the PD may be called.

· A written report including any statements, photographs and damage estimates will be given to the Chief and forwarded to the safety committee.

· The safety committee may choose to hold a special meeting to discuss the incident and forward and recommendations to the Chief.

· Any documentation of the incident is to be included in the annual report.

· The above includes “Near-Miss’ type incidents where only a potential for injury or damage.

Note: The Incident Investigations procedures do not relieve the company officer of his responsibility to fulfill any additional Town or Insurance Carrier requirements [additional forms etc].

Date: 01/01/06

Proponent: Fire Chief

Replaced: New

Review: Yearly