OC Annex/Exposure Reduction Plan & Procedures
Submitted by Jeff Hughes, OC Firefighters Local 3631 Wellness Agent
In 2018, the Orange County Training Officer’s Association established a goal to create an operational plan for Fire Departments within Orange County on ways of reducing exposures and addressing the growing occupational cancer diagnosis within the fire service. A team of five motivated individuals from local area fire departments (OCFA, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, and Costa Mesa Fire Departments) were selected to work on this project.
In order to tackle this multi-pronged issue, the plan would first have to establish the intent for the policy. The plan would then make recommendations for establishing uniformed operating procedures for all Orange County Fire agencies at the scene of a fire incident where products of combustion are present. Additionally, operational plans would offer ways to reduce personal contamination/exposures to fireground contaminants before, during, and after all fire incidents, and establish best practices for a safer work environment.
Uniform Personnel Exposure Reduction procedures will reduce the confusion on how we can actively work together during mutual and automatic aid assignments and have a universal understanding for the “why” and “how” of these tactics.
The Orange County Operational Plan addresses all aspects of reducing exposures through eleven appendices and can be found on Target Solutions:
- Appendix A- Pre-incident Tactics for Contamination Reduction
- Appendix B- Fireground Tactics for Contamination Reduction
- Appendix C- Firefighter Rehab
- Appendix D- Wildland or Urban Interface
- Appendix E- Station Equipment Decontamination
- Appendix F- Clean Cab Concepts
- Appendix G- Personal Protective Equipment
- Appendix H- Exposure Reporting
- Appendix I- Survivorship
- Appendix J- Investigations
- Appendix K- Resources