SOP Manual - Cleveland Fire Department

Guidelines
Cleveland Fire Department
Operations Manual
The following guidelines are to help arriving First Response units establish and maintain control of a
hazardous material incident:
1. The first responding unit present at the scene of an incident involving a hazardous material will:
2. Establish the site-specific incident command system.
3. Serve as IC (until relieved by the senior emergency response official per the ICS).
4. Notify Communications of the appropriate Level of Response.
The IC shall insure the following:
a. Rescue any victims if personnel safety can be provided.
b. Take immediate steps to identify the hazardous material and report this to
Communications.
c. Determine the Level of Response per criteria.
d. Determine which public protective action will prevail.
e. Establish the hazard areas.
f. Establish staging areas upwind at a safe distance.
g. Designate and evacuation area if necessary.
h. Coordinate all emergency and support activities.
i. With Command input, determine the strategic goals for the incident.
j. Ensure that all personnel on the scene are informed of the hazard zones.
k. Determine when the zone is safe for re-entry and inform the Emergency Public
Information Officers who will obtain media assistance to inform the public.
Incident Level of Response Criteria
Level I
(All requirements must be met to qualify)
Fixed Site
A hazardous material incident has occurred, however, no outside assistance is required and no evacuation
outside the incident scene has occurred.
Effective: June 1, 1997 Revised: 5/14/2009 Page | 131
Approved by: Chief Chuck Atchley