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PCSAR Guiding Documents

Standing Order #13 - Responding to PCSAR Call Out

Issue Date:

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Standing Order is to define the policy and procedure for emergency and non-emergency response.

SCOPE/POLICY

It is the policy of PCSAR to ensure that the members of the team follow established guidelines and procedures while responding to emergency search and rescue operations. This policy shall apply to all PCSAR team members while responding with and working for PCSAR. This policy does not apply to PCSAR team members while they are working for another emergency agency (i.e., ambulance, fire department, or law enforcement).

RESPONSIBILITY

It is the responsibility of all PCSAR team members to adhere to this policy. It is the responsibility of the PCSAR Team Leader or his/her assistants to ensure adherence to this policy.

PROCEDURE

  1. Dispatching Agency

    Dispatching Agency – The primary agency for dispatch to search and rescue incidents shall be Rapid City/Pennington County Fire Dispatch (radio call sign: Fire Dispatch). The secondary agency for dispatch to search and rescue incidents shall be the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office (radio call sign: 2-1).

  2. Responding to PCSAR call out

    No PCSAR member shall respond to any PCSAR call out if they have consumed any mind altering substance within the last six (6) hours or if they are still under the influence of that substance (no matter how much time has passed since consumption). This includes alcohol and several types of prescription and non-prescription drugs.

  3. Response to the station

    All PCSAR members responding to the station shall respond in a safe and orderly manner, following all traffic laws. Use of phones and mobile devices during response to the station is strongly discouraged.

  4. Response to the rescue scene

    PCSAR shall use the terms hot or cold for responding to the scene (hot being with emergency lights and siren activated, cold being without emergency lights or sirens).

    1. All vehicles shall have a minimum of two people on board while responding hot. This may be deviated from only with the expressed permission of the team member/officer in charge of the incident.

    2. The first responding vehicle shall be appropriately equipped for the type of incident members are responding to. The second vehicle shall ensure all additional equipment that may be needed is on board or en route before leaving the barn.

    3. Dispatch of additional vehicles shall be on an as-needed basis for manpower and/or equipment.

    4. The first two vehicles responding shall respond (hot or cold) as dispatched or as determined by the team member/officer in charge responding to the incident based on the nature of the emergency call. Additional vehicles shall respond cold unless the team member/officer in charge requests otherwise or the nature of the call dictates a hot response.

    5. Any review of the decision made by the team member/officer in charge shall be based on the information presented at the time of call-out and the information given while en route to the scene.

    6. Team members driving PCSAR vehicles shall refrain from use of mobile devices while driving hot. Team members driving PCSAR vehicles cold shall refrain from text messaging and emailing on mobile devices.

  5. Driving approval

    All PCSAR members will be approved by the Executive Board before they operate a PCSAR vehicle while responding hot.

    1. Upon becoming a member of PCSAR, members shall complete a minimum of four hot responses with an Emergency Vehicle Operations (EVO) Cadre Member. The number of required responses may be increased by the Executive Board based on the recommendation of the EVO Cadre Members. Two of these responses shall be as a passenger in the vehicle. It is recommended that each of these responses are completed with a different Cadre member. The other two required responses shall be as the operator of the vehicle with an EVO Cadre Member in the front passenger’s seat.

    2. At the completion of each response, the new member shall meet with the EVO Cadre Member. The EVO Cadre Member shall fill out the Run Documentation Sheet and discuss the new member’s performance. The Run Documentation Sheet shall be submitted to the Assistant Team Leader of Operations.

    3. Upon the completion of the required responses, the Executive Board will either extend the required responses, or approve the new member to operate PCSAR vehicles while responding hot.

    4. The Executive Board shall assign EVO Cadre members.

REFERENCE

Hot or cold response; EMS-Dispatch; South Dakota codified law for emergency vehicles.

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