ANNEX F - WOOD COUNTY FIRE SERVICE


I. PURPOSE - The purpose of this Annex is to provide Wood County with a firefighting capability able to meet the demands of a disaster situation. Additional responsibilities include: rescue, warning, and radiological preparedness operations.

II. SITUATION AND ASSUMPTIONS
A. Situation
· Fire prevention and control are daily problems faced by fire service personnel.
· These problems become more significant during emergency situations, particularly: conflagrations, forest fires, nuclear attack, hazardous-ma- terial accidents, and terrorist incidents.

B. Assumptions
· Existing fire personnel and equipment will be able to handle most emergency situations through the use of existing mutual aid agree- ments.
· If additional support is needed, assistance can be obtained from neigh-boring counties, state, and federal agencies.

III. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
A. General
1. Responsibilities:
· Fire control is the primary responsibility in disaster or emergen- cy situations
· Additional responsibilities include:
· Conducting search and rescue operations
· Conducting search and rescue operations
· Provision of emergency medical services (EMS)
· Hazardous materials control
· Supplemental responsibilities include:
· Operating public warning systems
· Supporting other emergency service providers, particularly radiological preparedness and reaction activities

B. Management Concepts
1. Mitigation: Fire service mitigation activities include:
· Reporting of State fire code violations to the State Fire Marshall
· Conducting public information and education cam-paigns on fire prevention and fire safety

· Ensure that all firefighting equipment is maintained in proper working condition
· Ensure that all fire service personnel, paid and vol-unteer, are properly trained and experienced for assignments
· Develop and implement emergency communica- tions protocal and procedures
· Develop plans for reacting to emergency or disas-ter situations, particularly hazardous material accidents
· Conduct mock disaster-emergency training scenarios
3. Response: Fire service response activities parallel their responsibili-ties defined above and include:
· Implementing fire control measures
· Conducting search and rescue activities
· Controlling hazardous materials accidents
· Operating public warning systems
· Supporting other emergency services
4. Recovery: Fire service recovery activities involve:
· Conducting fire inspections
· Implementing decontamination procedures
· Identifying and securing of dangerous areas from public access
· Prevention of further hazards developing at the site or incident

V. DIRECTION AND CONTROL
A. Jurisdictions
· Each fire service agency will be responsible for conducting operations within its fire service area.
· When a disaster or emergency situation requires the involvement of two or more agencies as is anticipated in existing mutual aid agree-ments, requests for mutual aid will be directed to the County Chief.
· Fire service operations involving multi-city or multi-emergency op-erations will be coordinated from the EOC.
· Requests for assistance from State or volunteer agencies will be direct-ed to the Emergency Services Director.
· Search and rescue operations will be implemented per each agency's procedures except in situations involving a downed aircraft.
· In incidents where arson is suspected, the fire service will contact the Assistant State Fire Marshall.
· Fire service operations involving State forests are under the direct con-trol of the Department of Natural Resources.
· Fire service operations involving hazardous materials' incidents will be conducted in accordance with the procedures in the West Virginia Haz-ardous Materials Response Plan.
· Hazardous materials' responses conducted in Wood County may be supplemented by the procedures in the Southern Wood/Washington Emergency Preparedness (SWWEP) Plan and coordinated through the Wood County Local Emergency Planning Committee (L.E.P.C.).

B. Operational Control
· The EOC Fire Coordinator is responsible for coordinating all emergen-cy disaster fire service operations.
· Routine operations will be conducted according to each agency's standard procedures.
· State and Federal support will be requested on an as- needed basis.
· When responding to a disaster or emergency situation within its juris-diction, the agency's ranking officer will assume command and will assess the situation or incident.
· When the assessment requires a multiple agency response, the Incident Commander will take the following steps.
· Assign control of the scene to an appropriate subordinate officer.
· Establish and take charge of a Command Post (CP)
· Establish communications with other emergency disaster re-sponders and control radio traffic.
· Coordinate with the proper agencies and authorities.

C. Warning and Communications
· Emergency communication will be conducted by radio, telephone, CB radio, or as described in Annex B (Communications) of this Plan.
· Fire service agency personnel can be alerted by any of the following techniques:
· Direct telephone line
· Radio
· Siren
· Tone receivers/beepers
· Cellular/mobile phone

D. Continuity of Service
· The succession of command will be determined by each fire service agencies' standard operating procedures.

E. Legal Authority
· Fire service agencies have the following legal authorities when en-gaged in emergency or disaster situations:
· The right to enter and leave the areas.
· The right to comander vehicles and manpower to aid in emergency or disaster operations.
· The right to restrain the movement of people willfully restricting their operation and to arrest such offenders if necessary.
· The right to remove real or personal property when essen-tial to performing fire or rescue activities.



AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES

2. DCPA Attack Environment Manual: What the Planner Needs to Know About Ignition and Spread. CPG 1 - 1A3. Washington: DCPA, 1979.

4. Wood County Office of Emergency Services. Wood County Emergency Operations Plan. Parkersburg: 1981, Revised 1998.