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1st Quarter of 2012

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Policy 3303: Private Vehicle Response

Policy 3303: Private Vehicle Response

YAKIMA COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT 12

10000 ZIER ROAD

YAKIMA, WA  98908

 

POLICY #                                          3303

 

COMMISSION CHAIR SIGNATURE       s/b Marshia Goss, Chair                   

 

EFFECTIVE DATE:                        1/01/96

REVISED:                                         9/11/12

 

POLICY TITLE:                               PRIVATE VEHICLE RESPONSE

 

REFERENCES:                               WAC 296-305

 

RESCINDS:                                      SOP 6.08, 6.09, 7.01-7.04, 7.08

 

1.0       RESPONDING IN PRIVATE VEHICLES

 

A. Members responding to an alarm in private vehicles must observe all traffic laws and park at the scene in such a manner as to allow responding emergency equipment full access.  Private vehicles are not emergency vehicles and are not permitted any exemptions to motor vehicle laws.

 

B.  Members responding in private vehicles should never exceed the posted speed limit.

           

C. Members responding in private vehicles shall come to a complete stop at all stop signs and red traffic signals and must wait for normal right of way before proceeding.

 

D. When a private vehicle is driven directly to the incident scene it shall be parked away from the access and egress points used by the responding apparatus.

 

E. Members must have personal auto liability insurance, a valid driver’s license and their vehicle must meet vehicle safety standards set by the state of Washington when responding to the station or incident scene.

 

F.  Members shall respond to the station for alarms with exception of EMT’s or Officers.  If an EMT must drive past the incident to get to the station, he/she if they have the proper PPE and first aid equipment may stop and render aid rather than respond to the station.  If an Officer has the proper PPE and believes he/she can make a difference in our overall response to the incident the Officer may respond directly to the incident and provide a size up and additional information to the dispatch center and other responding units.

 

G.  No member shall respond directly to an emergency scene without proper PPE, equipment or training to make a difference in the outcome of the situation.

 

H.  First and foremost all members must understand that they must arrive at the emergency scene or station safely in order to be of any help to the public and the District must respond with fire/rescue apparatus to assist the public therefore our first priority is arriving at the station safely then responding an apparatus safely to the scene.  A member responding directly to the incident scene rather than the station can affect how we efficiently respond to and provide services to the public and shall take that into consideration before responding directly to an incident scene.

 

2.0       DISCIPLINE

 

Any violation of this policy will result in discipline up to and including termination as per District policy 2101 “discipline”.