SOP Manual - Cleveland Fire Department

Cleveland Fire Department
Operations Manual
2. Chemicals and other Hazards
Firefighters should ascertain, prior to overhaul, what chemicals and flammable liquids are
kept in storage areas.
Care must be exercised during all firefighting operations in this type of occupancy.
Especially during overhaul, attention must be paid to labels on containers and to signs
posted in and around the fire structure.
Protective clothing is essential for all firefighters engaged in overhaul.
Helmets, eye shields, coats, gloves, and boots should be worn for protection from
dangerous chemicals. Self-contained breathing apparatus should be worn in hazardous
atmospheres; nonpoisonous chemicals can leak, mix, and form poisonous fumes in areas
where firefighters do not expect them.
Radioactive materials might be stored in some occupancies, their presence not known
until the overhaul operation has begun. When such material is discovered, the area should
be cleared, and the health department or other government agency responsible for dealing
with such materials should be notified. Take readings to determine the intensity of
radioactive emissions. Firefighters must be carefully and thoroughly checked.
If they have been exposed to excessive radiation, proper medical attention must follow,
and their gear and tools must be decontaminated according to standard procedures.
3. Searching for the Cause of Fire
One important part of overhaul is the discovery and preservation of evidence of arson.
When Truck Company personnel jump into overhaul without checking the fire building
for such signs, the evidence might accidentally be thrown out of the building, buried, or
washed away.
4. Restoration and Protection
When overhaul operations have been completed, the building and its contents should be
restored and protected, as much as possible, from the elements and from vandalism.
a. The Building
Openings in roofs can be covered with salvage covers, tar paper, or plastic,
depending of their size.
Effective: June 1, 1997 Revised: 5/14/2009 Page | 233
Approved by: Chief Chuck Atchley