The purpose of this procedure is to define the general procedures for notification of the District Two Hazmat Response Team to effect its activation for each tiered response.

ACTIVATION PROCEDURE:

The local community through it's Incident Commander will determine the need for the Hazmat Response Team and request the local dispatch center to request it's activation thru the Metrofire Control Center. The request will include whether a partial (Tier 1 or Tier 2) or full team (Tier 3) response is required.

RESPONSE TIERS

Four defined Tiers of response for District Two Hazmat Response Team are:< /p>

Tier 1 - Hazard and Risk Assessment
Tier 2 - Short Term Operations
Tier 3 - Long Term Operations
Tier 4 - Multiple Team Operations

POLICY

Tier 1 is defined as Hazard and Risk Assessment. A Tier 1 request would activate one Group by pager, of which 5 Technicians would be assigned to the Incident. After conducting the rollcall, if less than 5 Technicians are responding, the next alpha Group would be activated. At a Tier 1 request, one TOM's (Tactical Operations Module) would be dispatched.

Tier 2 is defined as Short Term Operations. A Tier 2 request would initially activate 2 Groups of Technicians. The Team Leader may request additional Groups, if the initial activation is insufficient to mitigate the incident. Example: A third Group may be requested without escalation to a Tier 3 response. At a Tier 2 request, one TOM's (Tactical Operations Module); one ORU (Operational Response Unit): and the Metrofire Command Unit would be dispatched.

Tier 3 is defined as Long Term Operations. A tier 3 request would activate the full District Two Hazmat Team. At a Tier 3 request, one TOM's (Tactical Operations Module); one ORU (Operational Response Unit): and the Metrofire Command Unit would be dispatched.

Tier 4 is defined as a Multiple Team Operations. If the incident exceeds the resources of the District Hazmat Team, additional resources from other Hazmat Districts would be assigned.

Upon determining the need for the Metrofire Hazmat Response Team, the requesting community fire alarm operator shall complete the Incident Command Activation Sheet, providing the following information.

1. City or Town
2. Location of the incident
3. Requesting Department
4. Callback telephone number
5. Name of Incident Commander
6. Nature/extent of the incident, including product identification and quantity, if known
7. Level of response (Tier 1, 2 or 3)
8. Assembly point/staging area for the Haz-Mat Team members

The Metrofire Control Center will obtain the following information from the requesting community and record it on the Control Center Activation Worksheet:

1. City or Town
2. Location of the incident
3. Requesting Department
4. Callback telephone number
5. Name of Incident Commander
6. Nature/extent of the incident, including product identification and quantity, if known
7. Level of response (Tier 1, 2 or 3)
8. Assembly point/staging area for the Haz-Mat Team members

The Metrofire Operator will then take the following actions:

1. Activate the telephone paging system to notify the Team members of the activation.

The page message shall be transmitted in the following form: "Dist.2, Tier# ,Team A-E, Chemical, Location of incident, Location of staging area". Example: "Dist.2, Tier 1, Team A, unknown spill, Waltham-121 Main St, Staging at 100 Main St."

2. Make a general radio broadcast stating that the District Two Hazmat Team is being activated. The Broadcast will include the following information:

a. Community and Location of the incident
b. Assembly/staging area for the Team members
c. Level of response - Tier 1, 2 or 3
d. Announce that a rollcall of responders will be taken by Metrofire Control in 15 minutes.

3. Confirm that the page message was transmitted. Confirmation shall be by the telephone response of one or both BFD Team Members within three minutes or by fire alarm contact with either of them to insure they received the page message.

If no response is received from the BFD members, or if they have not received the page, the Metrofire Control Center shall initiate a second paging.

If no response is received from the second page, notify the Metrofire Communities by radio announcement that the paging system is out of service. Example: "Metrofire announcing to the Metrofire Communities - The Hazmat Team Paging System is out of service".

NOTE: Metrofire communities shall attempt to notify their team members of Hazmat responses at their assigned stations, or at home. This shall be governed by local procedures.

4. After 15 minutes, conduct a roll call of the communities using the Metrofire Hazmat Rollcall form.

Record the status of the Team members as follows:

a. Responding and an E.T.A.
b. Not Responding
c. Undetermined

This information will be kept at Metrofire to be available for the Incident Commander or Haz-Mat Team Leader. Following the termination of the incident the Control Center Activation Worksheet and the Hazmat Rollcall form are to be faxed to the Hazmat Team Coordinator at Newton Fire FAX 617-552-7305, then forward the originals to the Assistant Superintendent.

5a. Contact Somerville directly to confirm the dispatch of the TOM's (Technical Operations Module) unit by one of the Hazmat Team members on a Tier 1, 2, or 3 response. If they have not been contacted by a team member, page out a request for a driver for the unit. Example: "Team, Driver needed for TOM's unit. Contact Metrofire at 617-343-2880 or Somerville Fire at 617-623-1700".

5b. Contact Everett directly to confirm the dispatch of the ORU (Operational Response Unit) by one of the Hazmat Team members on a Tier 2, or 3 response. If they have not been contacted by a team member, page out a request for a driver for the unit. Example: "Team, Driver needed for TOM's unit. Contact Metrofire at 617-343-2880 or Everett Fire at 617-387- 7443".

5c. Contact Waltham directly to confirm the dispatch of the Metrofire Command Unit on Tier 2 or 3 responses.

6. Contact the Incident Commander's fire department dispatch office by radio and inform them of the number of members responding, the earliest ETA and the vehicle dispatch status.

Team members will take the following actions upon notification that the Haz-Mat Team has been requested:

1. Review availability to respond. No member on sick or injury leave from their Department shall respond to a Haz-Mat activation. Members are responsible at all times for their fitness for duty.
2. Members who have been contacted by pager and are expected to respond, will as soon as possible contact their own fire alarm office and advise the fire alarm operator of their status - either responding and an ETA or not responding.
3. Members contacted by telephone or on duty will advise the fire alarm operator of their status as per local policy.
4. Members will record the location of the incident and the assembly point. Directions to the incident should be obtained through the primary paging system, local department or the Metrofire Control Center.
5a Members who are in close proximity to the Somerville Fire HQ, upon receipt of a Tier 1, 2 or 3 activation page, shall notify Somerville Fire at 617-623-1700 (after notifying their own fire alarm) and inform them of their ability to pick up and deliver the TOM's unit to the incident scene.
5b Members who are in close proximity to the Everett Fire HQ, upon receipt of a Tier 2 or 3 activation page, shall notify Everett Fire at 617-387-7443 (after notifying their own fire alarm) and inform them of their ability to pick up and deliver the ORU to the incident scene.
6. Members responding to the incident shall use good judgement and drive in accordance with all applicable laws and rules of the road.

The 45 man Response Team shall be divided into 5 Limited Response Groups - A,B,C,D & E - and assignment to the groups shall be made by the Hazmat Response Team and the Committee. A listing of the groups shall be maintained for the Control Center by the Hazmat Response Team and the Committee.

The groups shall be assigned to Tier 1 or Tier 2 responses by the Control Center in Alpha order.

A current listing of the pager/telephone numbers and a list for the District Hazmat Team rollcall shall be maintained for the Control Center by the Hazmat Response Team and the Committee.

CANCELLATION of RESPONSE PROCEDURE

Upon notice from the Incident Commander or Hazmat Team Leader, a response of the team may be cancelled. This cancellation should take place less than 30 minutes after activation.

If it is determined that a response should be cancelled, the Incident Commander or Hazmat Team Leader shall notify the Metrofire Control Center by telephone or radio.

Upon receiving the cancellation notification, the Metrofire Control Operator shall conduct the following:

1. Activate the primary paging system and broadcast a cancellation message.
2. Make a radio announcement for the Metrofire communities that the response has been cancelled by the requesting community.
Example: "Metrofire Hazmat Team response to (city/town) has been cancelled. All members not already at the scene shall return"

Upon receiving a cancellation notification from Metrofire Control, team members shall confirm receipt of message by contacting their Fire Alarm office.

PAGING & ACTIVATION TESTING

Weekly Paging System Tests

The Metrofire Control Center shall conduct a test of the alphanumeric paging system each Thursday morning as part of the Morning Radio Test and Availability.

Quarterly Activation Drills

The Metrofire Control Center shall initiate a test of the activation procedure on the first Thursday of each quarter (January, April, July and October), as part of the Morning Radio Test and Availability.

Three quarterly test (January, April and July) shall use the primary team paging system. The drill will be concluded after the radio rollcall.

Metrofire Control Operators shall conduct the following:

1. The following paging message shall be sent out; "Activation Test, Dist.2, Tier 3, Contact your Dept. ASAP".
2. Make a general radio broadcast stating that the District Two Hazmat Team activation is being tested.
3. After 15 minutes, conduct a roll call of the communities using the Metrofire Hazmat Roll call form. Record the status of the Team members as follows:

a. Responding and an E.T.A.
b. Not Responding
c. Undetermined

4. After the conclusion of the activation test, the Hazmat Rollcall form is to be faxed to the Hazmat Team Coordinator at Newton Fire FAX 617-552-7305, then forward the originals to the Assistant Superintendent.

One quarterly test (October) shall be of the backup activation system. (team members contacted by their own Fire Alarm offices by radio or telephone) and a rollcall completed. The drill will be concluded after the radio roll call.

Metrofire Control Operators shall conduct the following:

1. Make a general radio broadcast stating that "the District Two Hazmat Team backup activation procedure is being tested. Contact your Team Members. A rollcall will be conducted in 15 minutes".
2. After 15 minutes, conduct a roll call of the communities using the Metrofire Hazmat Rollcall form. Record the status of the Team members as follows:

a. Responding and an E.T.A.
b. Not Responding
c. Undetermined