5031 - Traffic Work Zones At Incident Scenes Flashcards

1
Q

Who shall be responsible for maintaining this document?

A

The Administrative Battalion Chief for Safety

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2
Q

Who shall be responsible for:

  1. Ensuring the overall safety of the personnel and all activities occurring at the scene
  2. Ensuring the appropriate safety policies and procedures are implemented and enforced
  3. Ensuring that all personnel are wearing the appropriate level of personal protective equipment (PPE) and high visibility/reflective clothing as appropriate for the roadway situations and conditions encountered
  4. Assigning an Incident Safety Officer
  5. Coordinating with local law enforcement as necessary and appropriate
A

The Incident Commander

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3
Q

Who shall be responsible for:

  1. Ensuring a protected work zone is in place
  2. Monitoring the scene for hazardous traffic
  3. Assisting with ensuring all personnel are wearing proper PPE and high visibility/reflective clothing
A

The Incident Safety Officer, when assigned.

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4
Q

When working in emergent traffic zones, TFD personnel shall protect his/her self first and then the scene by:

A

a. Operating in a defensive mode, considering any moving vehicle a threat to his/her safety
b. Always maintaining an acute awareness of the high risk of working in or around moving traffic
c. Never trusting moving traffic
d. Never assuming motorists will follow directions or obey traffic control measures
e. Remaining alert to moving vehicles and incident conditions that could pose risk to TFD personnel, even though a lookout may have been assigned

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5
Q

5.2 Clothing Guidelines for Personnel Working In Emergent Traffic Zones

A
  1. High visibility/reflective vests shall be available on all TFD apparatus and staff vehicles to enhance the safety of personnel working in emergent traffic zones.
  2. TFD personnel shall wear the following forms of high visibility/reflective clothing when working in emergent traffic zones:
    a. Structural firefighting helmets properly donned at all times
    b. Structural firefighting PPE donned prior to beginning work at roadway incidents involving activities such as fire suppression, standby with hose lines or extinguishers, or extrication activities involving exposure to broken glass and jagged metal
  3. When not wearing structural PPE, TFD personnel shall wear a high visibility/reflective vest and helmet at all times while working in emergent traffic zones.
  4. TFD personnel may:
    a. Wear high visibility/reflective vests over structural PPE to enhance visibility
    b. Don structural firefighting helmets and high visibility/reflective vests over a department issued uniform or uniform service coat without structural PPE in an emergent traffic zone if s/he will not be involved in fire suppression, standby with hose lines, or extrication assignments that expose them to hazards such as broken glass and jagged metal
    c. Wear a high visibility/reflective vest over a uniform service coat when his/her activities at the scene do not warrant the use of structural PPE
  5. TFD personnel who are actively involved in ALS procedures or rendering emergent or urgent BLS care in emergent traffic zones may take off his/her structural PPE and/or helmet if it interferes with or hinders his/her ability to administer patient care.
    a. In these cases, TFD personnel are required instead to wear a high visibility/reflective vest while such procedures are performed or while outside of the medic unit
  6. TFD personnel shall not:
    a. Operate in an emergent traffic zone wearing only his/her department issued uniform
    b. Wear an orange high visibility vest over his/her turnout clothing when involved in active firefighting in an emergent traffic zone
  7. The department issue uniform service coat with reflective striping alone is not an acceptable alternative for either structural PPE with reflective striping or high visibility/reflective vests when working in an emergent traffic zone.
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6
Q

5.3 Apparatus Positioning Guidelines

A
  1. The first arriving company shall park the apparatus in a block position with the front wheels turned in a direction that points away from the work zone to protect the incident scene, patients and emergency response personnel
  2. Whenever possible, the block position of the apparatus shall be at a:
    a. Minimum 45 degree angle to upstream traffic AND
    b. Sufficient distance to prevent an upstream vehicle from knocking the blocking apparatus into the work zone or personnel
    i. Typically blocking one lane in addition to what is already obstructed will provide this margin of safety
  3. If the incident occurs at an intersection or in the middle of a roadway, TFD personnel shall attempt to block all exposed sides.
  4. When responding apparatus numbers are limited, TFD personnel shall prioritize blocking of exposed sides as follows:
    a. Block the closest approaching traffic, then
    b. Block the highest speed approaching traffic, then
    c. Block the highest volume approaching traffic
  5. If a hose line may be needed, TFD personnel shall park the apparatus so that the pump panel is downstream and on the opposite side of the oncoming traffic.
    a. The apparatus should be spotted in accordance with TFD policy 5006 to provide the pump operator with a protected work zone
  6. All medic units and private ambulances shall be parked so that the patient loading zone is positioned within a protected work zone.
  7. When positioned downstream from an incident, medic units and private ambulances also may need to be angled in the block position to protect the patient loading zone from passing traffic.
  8. At residential medical emergencies, medic units and private ambulances shall be parked in driveways whenever possible.
    a. If a driveway is not available, medic units shall be parked in the manner that best protects the patient loading zone
  9. The Incident Commander shall:
    a. Assess the parking needs of later arriving apparatus
    b. Direct the parking and placement of these apparatus to ensure ongoing protective blocking of the incident scene
    c. Ensure unneeded apparatus are parked or staged off the street or roadway whenever possible
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7
Q

5.4 Freeway Operations Guidelines

A
  1. For effective incident scene management and to avoid possible confusion when assigning apparatus to positions and tasks, freeway lanes shall be numbered from right to left as one faces the direction of travel.

EXAMPLE: Far right lane would be Lane #1; the next lane to the left would be Lane #2 and so on.

  1. The Incident Commander shall:
    a. Evaluate the need for apparatus on the freeway
    b. Specify the position and parking locations of each apparatus to protect the work zone, patients and emergency response personnel
    c. Coordinate with the Washington State Patrol, Department of Transportation or other resources to provide advance warning to drivers, control traffic and ensure scene safety
    d. Carefully manage termination of freeway operations to reduce risk to personnel and apparatus, with extra caution taken when merging fire apparatus back into freeway traffic
    e. Promptly return to service any apparatus that is not needed for the incident response
  2. The first arriving company shall park the apparatus in a block position with the front wheels turned in a direction that points away from the work zone to protect the incident scene, patients and emergency response personnel
  3. The second arriving company shall create a buffer zone by parking the apparatus 150 to 200 feet upstream of the first apparatus in a block position with the front wheels turned in a direction that points away from the work zone.
  4. Other apparatus shall be parked downstream of the incident, if possible.
  5. Medic units and/or ambulances may be staged and brought up to the incident scene as needed.
  6. Medic units and private ambulances on scene shall be parked such that a safe patient loading zone is established on the downstream side of the blocking apparatus.
  7. TFD personnel shall not remain in any freeway lane that is open to traffic and out of the protected work zone.
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8
Q

5.5 Safety Guidelines for Working in Emergent Traffic Zones

A
  1. The Incident Commander shall exercise one of the following options if the safety of the personnel cannot be assured:
    a. STOP the flow of traffic until the fire department task is accomplished and scene personnel can move out of the exposed position OR
    b. Reduce the traffic flow to a pace that guarantees the safety of scene personnel
  2. The Incident Commander also shall:
    a. Evaluate the need for identifying a primary and secondary escape route and communicate these to scene personnel
    b. Consider reducing to appropriate levels the number of flashing lights, strobes and headlights on emergency apparatus that are at the roadway incident scene to lessen the potential for vision impairment and/or confusion for motorists
    c. Provide specific directions to law enforcement regarding traffic control needs d. Designate an Incident Safety Officer, preferably the Safety Lieutenant, to warn other personnel of traffic that may not heed warning devices or directions
    i. The Incident Safety Officer may perform other duties as needed, but those duties should not significantly distract him/her from the traffic safety functions
  3. Whenever possible, the first arriving company shall place traffic cones at the scene to direct traffic.
  4. Traffic cones shall be placed a minimum of 150 feet upstream of the blocking apparatus to delineate a buffer zone.
  5. Once the buffer zone is delineated, traffic cones shall then be placed to designate the protected work zone.
  6. Traffic cone placement may be expanded, as needed, when additional companies arrive on the scene.
  7. In nighttime and/or poor weather conditions, TFD personnel shall consider placing flares adjacent to and in combination with traffic cones to enhance scene safety.
    a. Flares shall not be used near flammable gas or liquid spills 8. TFD personnel may increase the distances at which initial traffic cones and/or flares are set out from the blocking apparatus as weather conditions dictate (e.g.; icy roads, wet pavement).
  8. When working in emergent traffic zones, TFD personnel shall:
    a. Look before opening the door and stepping out of an apparatus or vehicle
    b. Exit on the curb or non-traffic side of the apparatus, whenever possible
    c. Walk as close to the apparatus as possible when walking around apparatus or vehicles that are blocking or parked adjacent to moving traffic
    d. STOP and LOOK before proceeding around any side or corner of any apparatus or vehicle
    e. Face oncoming traffic while placing and retrieve traffic cones and flares
  9. TFD personnel shall NEVER turn his/her back on moving traffic while placing or retrieving cones and flares.
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