Franklin Lakes Volunteer Fire Department

Standard Operating Guidelines

FranklinLakes Volunteer Fire Department

c/o Franklin Lakes Borough Hall

480 DeKorte Drive

FranklinLakes, NJ 07417

Fire Headquarters Southside

Bender Court Franklin Lake Road

FranklinLakes, NJ 07417 FranklinLakes, NJ 07417

Phone: 201-891-5736 Fax: 201-891-4507 Phone: 201-891-1030

Title: Mutual Aid, Responding / Number: 2-004
Written by: Jeremy Donch / Date: January 10, 2007

Listed below is the mutual aid response guideline for the Franklin Lakes Fire Department. It is broken down into geographic areas that may be covered as well as specialty apparatus that may be requested. This section also includes the appropriate staffing for all mutual aid responses.

Engine Company Response

An engine company mutual aid response will occur anytime a mutual aid agency requests an engine to respond to their jurisdiction to provide either station coverage or to respond directly to the incident scene.

Geographic Location

Headquarters: (Engine to respond is the first due out of each station) Responsibilities include, response to the scene in Wyckoff and Oakland, North of Route 208 (Check Map before Response), and will cover Wyckoff Company #1. Will also respond for coverage or direct to the incident scene for the following towns; Mahwah, Allendale, Waldwick, Ho-Ho-Kus, SaddleRiver, UpperSaddleRiver and Ramsey.

Southside: (Engine to respond is the first due out of each station) Responsibilities include, response to the scene in Wyckoff and Oakland, South of Route 208 (Check Map before Response). Coverage will include Wyckoff Company #2 and Company #3 and Oakland Company #1. Will also respond for coverage or direct to the incident scene for the following towns; MidlandPark, Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Fair Lawn and all of PassaicCounty requests.

Note: If dispatched to respond directly to the scene, then follow the guideline above for the north and south of Route 208 response. If dispatched for coverage only, then follow the coverage guideline above. If the responding engine receives different directions once in route to a coverage firehouse, they will continue to respond even if the mutual aid incident requires the FranklinLakes engine to respond over the Route 208 border. At no time will the coverage engine be returned to allow another FranklinLakes engine to respond to the scene due to geographic location.

Staffing

Mutual aid engine company responses will consist of the following staffing levels. A minimum of four (4) SCBA qualified firefighters shall respond on mutual aid. This may include the driver if he or she is a qualified SCBA firefighter. A maximum of six (6) SCBA firefighters may respond on an engine for mutual aid. If the engine responds with a non-SCBA qualified firefighter as the engine chauffer, then the maximum number of SCBA qualified firefighters will be five (5). No more than six (6) firefighters may respond on engine company responses. (Firefighters include non-SCBA, SCBA Qualified and Fire Officers) No probationary firefighters or junior firefighters may respond mutual aid unless the Franklin Lakes Fire Department is covering a mutual aid town during a specific time period. If the Franklin Lakes Fire Department is covering another mutual aid town for fire and rescue services, then probationary and junior members shall be allowed to respond.

Headquarters and Southside have their own assigned response areas. Therefore, each firehouse shall respond accordingly. There is no need for a phone call to the other firehouse unless the assigned firehouse that is supposed to respond cannot field the minimum staffing requirements. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the Officer or the senior firefighter to notify the other firehouse of the staffing problem. If the other firehouse has the appropriate staffing levels, then they will respond instead of the assigned engine that does not have the appropriate staffing.

Daytime Response, 7:00 am-6:00pm

Note: If the assigned firehouse cannot meet the minimum staffing requirements for a mutual aid engine call, they must notify the other firehouse. If the other firehouse does not meet the minimum staffing levels that are required also, then a decision shall be made by the fire officer or senior firefighter in charge as to the response. An exception to the minimum of four (4) firefighters to respond may happen during daytime responses. Daytime responses may occur due to lite staffing. Daytime hours are from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. Therefore, if the assigned firehouse cannot field adequate staffing and they contact the other firehouse and they do not meet the minimum staffing as well, then an engine may respond with no less than three (3) SCBA qualified firefighters from either house depending upon the staffing levels. If either firehouse cannot meet the minimum of three (3) SCBA qualified firefighters, then it is the responsibility for the officer in charge or the senior firefighter to notify the requesting agency that the Franklin Lakes Fire Department cannot respond due to staffing issues. Notification must be made as quickly as possible so that other arrangements can be made by the mutual aid Incident Commander.

Ladder Company Response

A ladder company mutual aid response will occur anytime a mutual aid agency requests a ladder to respond to their jurisdiction to provide either station coverage or to respond directly to the incident scene.

Geographic Location

The ladder truck will respond out of Headquarters for any request for mutual aid for either coverage or directly to an incident. Responsibilities will include the Northwest Bergen Mutual Aid, PassaicCounty, or any other requesting department or agencies.

Staffing

Mutual aid ladder company responses will consist of the following staffing levels. A minimum of four (4) SCBA qualified firefighters shall respond on mutual aid. This may include the driver if he or she is a qualified SCBA firefighter. A maximum of six (6) SCBA firefighters may respond on the ladder for mutual aid. If the ladder responds with a non-SCBA qualified firefighter as the ladder chauffer, then the maximum number of SCBA qualified firefighters will be five (5). No more than six (6) firefighters may respond on ladder company responses. (Firefighters include non-SCBA, SCBA Qualified and Fire Officers) No probationary firefighters or junior firefighters may respond mutual aid unless the Franklin Lakes Fire Department is covering a mutual aid town during a specific time period. If the Franklin Lakes Fire Department is covering another mutual aid town for fire and rescue services, then probationary and junior members shall be allowed to respond.

Note: If Headquarters cannot field a crew to meet the minimum staffing requirements set forth above, then the fire officer or senior firefighter in charge shall advise Southside that they do not have the required staffing to respond. At that point members can respond over to Headquarters to fulfill the minimum staffing requirement or the fire officer or senior firefighter in charge can notify the requesting agency / department that the Franklin Lakes Fire Department cannot respond because of improper staffing. Notification must be made as quickly as possible so that other arrangements can be made by the mutual aid Incident Commander.

Tanker Response

Geographic Location

The tanker will respond out of Southside for any request for mutual aid for either coverage or directly to an incident. Responsibilities will include the Northwest Bergen Mutual Aid, PassaicCounty, or any other requesting department or agencies.

Staffing

Mutual aid tanker responses will consist of the following staffing levels. The minimum staffing level consists of one (1) firefighter that is qualified to drive and operate the tanker. The maximum staffing level is three (3) firefighters. Firefighters responding mutual aid with the tanker do not need to be SCBA qualified. No probationary firefighters or junior firefighters may respond mutual aid unless the Franklin Lakes Fire Department is covering a mutual aid town during a specific time period. If the Franklin Lakes Fire Department is covering another mutual aid town for fire and rescue services, then probationary and junior members shall be allowed to respond.

Note: If Southside cannot field a crew to meet the minimum staffing requirements set forth above, then the fire officer or senior firefighter in charge shall advise Headquarters that they do not have the required staffing to respond. At that point members can respond over to Southside to fulfill the minimum staffing requirement or the fire officer or senior firefighter in charge can notify the requesting agency / department that the Franklin Lakes Fire Department cannot respond because of improper staffing. Notification must be made as quickly as possible so that other arrangements can be made by the mutual aid Incident Commander.

Cascade Response

Geographic Location

The Cascade Unit will respond out of Headquarters for any request for mutual aid for either coverage or directly to an incident. Responsibilities will include the Northwest Bergen Mutual Aid, PassaicCounty, or any other requesting department or agencies.

Staffing

Mutual aid Cascade responses will consist of the following staffing levels. The minimum staffing level is three (3) firefighters. These firefighters do not have to be SCBA qualified. The maximum staffing level is six (6) firefighters. (SCBA qualified firefighters have preference over non-SCBA firefighters.) . No probationary firefighters or junior firefighters may respond mutual aid unless the Franklin Lakes Fire Department is covering a mutual aid town during a specific time period. If the Franklin Lakes Fire Department is covering another mutual aid town for fire and rescue services, then probationary and junior members shall be allowed to respond.

Rescue Response

Geographic Location

The Rescue response will respond out of Headquarters for any request for mutual aid for either coverage or directly to an incident. Responsibilities will include the Northwest Bergen Mutual Aid, PassaicCounty, or any other requesting department or agencies.

Any request for a rescue shall consist of the following apparatus.

-Squad 333

-Support Unit 337

Both apparatus shall respond to any call for a rescue response. These two pieces of apparatus will respond out of Headquarters.

Staffing

Staffing for mutual aid rescue calls will be as follows. Squad 333 shall respond with a minimum of four (4) firefighters and a maximum of eight (8) firefighters. The personnel that respond on the squad must be familiar with the use of all the rescue and extrication equipment on the squad. The Officer or senior firefighter in charge reserves the right to select who will respond on a mutual aid rescue call. This decision shall be based solely on the experience of each member in regards to extrication and rescue experience.

Support Unit 337 shall respond following the squad on mutual aid rescue calls. Minimum staffing for the support unit is one (1) firefighter, maximum staffing will be four (4) firefighters. The personnel that respond on the support unit must be familiar with the use of all the rescue and extrication equipment on the squad and support unit. The Officer or senior firefighter in charge reserves the right to select who will respond on a mutual aid rescue call. This decision shall be based solely on the experience of each member in regards to extrication and rescue experience.

No probationary firefighters or junior firefighters may respond mutual aid unless the Franklin Lakes Fire Department is covering a mutual aid town during a specific time period. If the Franklin Lakes Fire Department is covering another mutual aid town for fire and rescue services, then probationary and junior members shall be allowed to respond.