203.01.15 Mayday & Emergency Condition Declaration Procedure

Question 1

Definition: Mayday

Answer 1

Used when a firefighter is in danger. A firefighter must declare a MAYDAY when confronted by, but not limited to the following situations:

a. Injured and in need of immediate assistance or unable to reach a safe location under their own power.
b. Lost / Disoriented.
c. Trapped / Entangled and unable to exit structure before expending
air supply.
d. Low on Air / Low air alarm sounding in conjunction with any
other item listed.
e. Negative or no response to PAR after second attempt (Refer to
Section 202.07Accountability C. “Policy”; 2.” Personnel Accountability Report”; f. “Negative or No response to location of P AR”).
f. “MAYDAY” will also be declared by other members and/or RAT Team that locate a member(s) in any of the above situations.

Question 2

Definition: Emergency

Answer 2

Used when an emergency is imminent, or has already happened, such as:

a. A collapse of a wall, the roof or the building.
b. A potential- collapse that needs to be investigated.
c. A backdraft or an explosion.
d. Flashover or rapidly changing fire conditions.
e. Water supply interruption which puts firefighters in a precarious position.
f. Hole(s) in the floor.
g. Burned out or missing stairs.
h. Weakened or compromised structural members.
i. Open shaft(s).
j. Non-secured elevator doors.
k. Elevators with swing type doors.
l. Downed power lines in street or yard.
m. Any other circumstance that can seriously injure a firefighter.
n. Immediate evacuation of the building necessary for any of the
above or for any circumstance the incident commander deems
necessary.
o. Requesting an additional alarm.

Question 3

The ________ declaration is reserved for only those situations when a firefighter is in peril as described above. When a hazardous condition exists the ________ declaration shall be utilized.

Answer 3

“MAYDAY”… “Emergency”…

Question 4

What information needs to be transmitted when a FF is declaring a MAYDAY?

Answer 4

The firefighter shall repeat the word “MAYDAY” three (3) times followed by the nature of the Mayday, last known location, Company number, and name(s) of the firefighter(s) involved if possible and what, if any plans they have to remove themselves from the situation. Then they should activate their PASS Device

(Example - “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, - Firefighter Down - Second Floor - Firefighter Doe from Engine 22)

Question 5

A Mayday declaration only occurs when the downed firefighter is ________

Answer 5

initially found

Question 6

What information needs to be transmitted when a Fire Company finds a FF down?

Answer 6

Any Fire Company finding a firefighter down shall declare a Mayday and the Mayday information shall be repeated including the manner of removal from the structure. (Example - “Mayday - Mayday - Mayday - Firefighter Down - Lieutenant from Engine 22 - We will be coming out the rear door”). NOTE: A Mayday declaration only occurs when the downed firefighter is initially found.

Question 7

The IC will maintain radio contact with those involved in the Mayday until the _______ is assigned

Answer 7

RAT Group Supervisor

Question 8

When a MAYDAY has been declared the IC will notify dispatch of:

Answer 8

Notify Dispatch of the “Mayday” situation. Request an additional
Alarm, an additional RAT Company and an additional District
Chief.

Question 9

When a MADAY has been declared the IC will order all companies to:

Answer 9

Switch their radios to the Alternate Fireground channel (channel 16 in their current Fire Ground Talk Group-currently this is the Mayday Channel) for routine fire ground messages.
The original fire ground channel will only be used for the firefighter(s) involved in the MAYDAY, the RAT Group Supervisor, the Rapid Assistance Teams and the Heavy Rescue Company.
If the Incident Commander knows which Fire Companies are involved, he can state “all Companies switch to the Alternate FG channel (currently the Mayday Channel) with the exception of Engine 22, RAT 25, District 5 and Heavy Rescue 25”

Question 10

If there is a Company inside the structure that is in close proximity to the Mayday, and they feel they can assist in extricating the distressed firefighter(s) in a timely manner, they will:

Answer 10

Notify Command and stay on the original fire ground channel.

Question 11

When a MAYDAY has been declared the IC will order Accountability to:

Answer 11

Conduct a PAR on the Alternate FG channel (currently the Mayday Channel), to determine if any other Companies are unaccounted for. Any Companies that do not respond to the PAR should be relayed to the Incident Commander so he/she can relay the information to the RAT Chief.

Question 12

In the event another “Mayday” occurs while operating on the Alternate FG channel (currently the Mayday Channel), the Incident Commander will consider moving everyone to another fire ground channel, for example, Zone being used “Tac 1” channel. This should only be considered in extreme circumstances and will then require another _____ being performed on the “Tac” channel.

Answer 12

PAR

Question 13

Dispatch Responsibilities for MAYDAY Declartation:

Answer 13

a. Transmit an additional alarm, dispatch an additional District Chief
to replace the second on-scene District Chief who has become the
RAT Group Supervisor and an additional RAT Company.
b. Page the 40-hr staff (All Call).
c. Once the Incident Commander has all on-scene Companies switch
to the Alternate FG channel (currently the Mayday channel), Dispatch will notify all future dispatched and en-route Companies that the current fire ground channel is now the Alternate FG channel (currently the Mayday channel) in the originally dispatched fire zone.
d. Dispatch will need to monitor both the original fire ground channel and the Alternate FG channel (currently the Mayday channel).

Question 14

To clear all radio traffic on the fire ground channel, the Fire Officer or firefighter requesting the emergency shall:

Answer 14

State their Company number followed by the word “Emergency” and the nature, location and type of emergency identified.
For example, “Engine 22 Emergency, there is a large hole in the floor on floor number 2”. At this time no other radio traffic shall be transmitted until the Incident Commander acknowledges the “Emergency” radio traffic.

Question 15

The “Emergency” declaration shall be reserved for:

Answer 15

Situations on the fire ground presenting imminent danger to firefighters.

Question 16

The Incident Commander upon hearing the Emergency Declaration shall immediately:

Answer 16

Repeat the emergency traffic as well as orders to rectify or retreat from the situation.
(Example - “Command, Emergency - All Companies operating at 123 Main St. there is a large hole on floor 2, stay off the second floor!”

Question 17

For some “Emergency” declaration the Incident Commander can request that Dispatch give the _______ over the fireground channel prior to the ‘Emergency” declaration. Dispatch should only send the emergency tone over the fireground channel on request from the Incident Commander.

Answer 17

emergency tone

Question 18

The Company or Firefighter declaring the “Emergency” will then:

Answer 18

a. Follow the orders of Command.
b. Attempt to cover hole if possible.
c. Block area with a large object if possible.
d. Attempt to secure area if possible.
e. Guard area if possible and conditions allow.
f. Secure a door if needed by driving a wedge under it.
g. Mark the area, “Danger - Do Not Enter” if possible.
h. Mark area as an exclusion zone with fire line or caution tape if
possible.

Question 19

The Incident Commander shall always request from Dispatch the emergency tone _____ to the announcement to retreat when ordering Companies out of a building.

Answer 19

prior

Question 20

The Incident Commander shall use the command ______ followed by the word ______: stated three (3) times and finally request a PAR be given when the Company has exited the building or hazard zone.

Answer 20

“Emergency”… “Retreat”…

Question 21

Once Command gives the order to “Retreat”, there shall be no discussion concerning this order on the radio. All Companies shall exit the building and prepare for a _____

Answer 21

PAR

Question 22

Upon the order to “Retreat”, all on-scene fire apparatus, shall give ____-_____ blasts of their air horns.

Answer 22

ten (10) - three (3) second

Question 23

Company Officers shall give a ____ &____ upon exiting the building or hazard zone.

Answer 23

PAR and location

For example, “Engine 19 out of the building on the Alpha Side with a PAR.”

Question 24

True or False: Accountability does not have to ask companies for a PAR that have already self reported upon exiting the building or hazard zone.

Answer 24

True

Question 25

Following the PAR, all Officers shall meet at:

Answer 25

the Command Post

Question 26

Any individual, whether it is a firefighter or an officer that finds a hazard
is required to communicate on the radio using ________, however if their Company Officer is with the firefighter, the Company Officer should communicate the _______

Answer 26

“Emergency” traffic (x2)…