SECTION OPERATIONS EFFECTIVE REVISED 02-20-19 SOG 3-1 CAMDEN COUNTY FIRE COORDINATOR Purpose To establish an appointment protocol for the Camden County Fire Coordinator, and Deputy Camden County Fire Coordinator positions; and to outline the authority, responsibility and protocols for the Office of the Camden County Fire Coordinator. References Fire Service Resource Emergency Deployment Act: N.J.S.A. 52:14E-11 et. seq., to establish a mechanism for the coordination of fire service resources throughout the State to facilitate a quick and efficient response to any emergency incident or situation that requires the immediate deployment of those resources in order to protect life and property from the danger or destruction of fire, explosion or other disaster. Local Fire Mutual Aid Plan: The "Fire Service Resource Emergency Deployment Regulations" N.J.A.C. 5:75A et. seq, and N J.A.C. 5:75 A-2.2 specifically requires each municipality or fire district to adopt a local fire mutual aid plan. Definitions County fire coordinator: means the individual appointed by the State fire coordinator pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:14E-11 et. seq. County fire mutual aid plan: means a plan, prepared and adopted by a county in which sets forth the measures that are to be implemented in those instances where the fire service resources of an individual municipality within the county are unable to respond adequately to an emergency incident or a local fire emergency disaster and, therefore, it is necessary for the county to coordinate the delivery of fire service resources and assistance to that municipality from other municipalities in the county. Deputy county fire coordinator: means an individual appointed by the county fire coordinator to assist the county fire coordinator with the duties and responsibilities of his/her position and to serve as the county fire coordinator in his/her absence. Deputy State fire coordinator: means an individual appointed by the State fire coordinator from the employees of the Division of Fire Safety to assist the State fire coordinator with the duties and responsibilities of his position and to serve as the State fire coordinator in his absence.
Emergency incident: means any situation to which a unit of the fire service responds to deliver emergency services including, but not limited to, rescue, fire suppression, special operations and other forms of hazard control and mitigation. Fire service resources: means fire fighters and other personnel utilized by a unit of the fire service to provide rescue, fire suppression and related activities whether those fire fighters and personnel are volunteer or career; trucks, rescue vehicles and other vehicles used for firefighting and emergency purposes; and firefighting and rescue equipment used for fire or emergency purposes, including communications and protective equipment. Fire service resources shall not include emergency medical service providers and personnel, except that any unit or personnel that provides both fire and emergency medical services shall be subject to this act while performing fire suppression and related activities. Definitions (Continued) Forest fire service: means the agency within the Department of Environmental Protection that is responsible for the protection of life, property and natural resources from wildfire. Incident commander: means the individual in overall command or control of the fire service personnel, and associated emergency equipment and emergency vehicles, at the site of an emergency incident. Local fire emergency disaster: means an emergency incident which, in the judgment of the incident commander, is of such severe degree and nature that it presents a significant threat to the health, safety and welfare of a municipality and its residents and, therefore, may warrant the implementation of the municipality's municipal emergency operations plan. Local fire mutual aid plan: means a plan, prepared and adopted by a municipality or fire district which sets forth the measures that are to be implemented in those instances when the fire service resources of the municipality or fire district cannot adequately respond to an emergency incident or a local fire emergency disaster and, as a consequence, it is necessary for the municipality or fire district to request assistance and fire service resources from contiguous municipalities. Order of deployment: means an order issued by the State fire coordinator pursuant to a unit of the fire service requiring the immediate response, recall or standby of that unit's fire service personnel, emergency equipment or emergency vehicles, or any part thereof. State fire coordinator: means the Director of the Division of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs, or his designee. State fire Warden: means the chief of the forest fire service in the Department of Environmental Protection or his designee. Unit of the fire service: means a department or force, be it paid, part-paid or volunteer, established and maintained by the State or any of its instrumentalities, any local governmental unit or any of its instrumentalities, any State or local authority, fire district or non-profit corporation, association or organization for the purposes of fire suppression, rescue and related activities. Extent and Limit of Authority of the Camden County Fire Coordinator The Camden County Fire Coordinator, serving as the Administrative Officer at the County level of fire service deployment and management, shall have the following duties and responsibilities: 1. Prepare and administer the Camden County Fire Mutual Aid Plan: and 2. Respond to the scene of the fires and other emergencies requiring a presence, and serve as an aide to the Incident Commander in organizing, requesting and managing the response of multiple resources in accordance with the Camden County Fire Mutual Aid Plan; and
3. Coordinate interaction and communications with the State Fire Coordinator; and 4. Plan, estimate and coordinate the need for additional and specialist level resources for Camden County resources for the response to technical rescue incidents, weather related incidents and hazardous materials incidents; and 5. Ensure all Camden County Fire Departments participate in the submission of NFIRs with the Division of Fire Safety; and 6. Act as a liaison between the Camden County Fire Departments and other Camden County Emergency Service agencies as needed; and 7. Ensure the adequate planning, distribution and assignment of fire resources within Camden County pre-incident, and during times of emergency and may, at his/her discretion and/or 8. Through the authority of a Deputy County Fire Coordinator, re-deploy resources to ensure adequate resources and coverage is applied throughout Camden County; and Extent and Limit of Authority of the Camden County Fire Coordinator (Continued) 9. Shall maintain and inventory of Camden County fire services resources and submit it to the State Fire Coordinator on an annual basis; and 10. Review all plans submitted by the municipal/district Fire Chief(s) and make recommendations and issue approvals on an as needed and annual basis; and 11. Develop and operate the Camden County Fire Mutual Aid plan to assist the local Fire Chief; and 12. Select and supply mutual aid resources to other counties upon a formal request from other counties and county Fire Coordinator(s), the State Fire Coordinator; and 13. Develop, review and complete the Fire and Rescue Annex of the Camden County Emergency Operations Plan. A. When resources are relocated as a precautionary measure, by the Fire Coordinator or his/her representative, responsibility for damage or loss of such equipment remains the obligation of the individual department. Upon assignment to an incident, then loss or damage becomes the responsibility of the department requesting mutual aid resources. B. The Fire Chief of each Fire Department will be primary point of contact for the Fire Coordinator. The Fire Chief is responsible to notify his/her respective Fire District or Municipal Officials and his/her subordinate officers and members of any matter or policies that warrant their awareness. Deputy County Fire Coordinators Deputy County Fire Coordinators represent the County Fire Coordinator at the scene of fires and emergencies. The Fire Coordinator or Deputy Fire Coordinator may not assume command at any incident unless there is an absence of command at an incident scene. The County Fire Coordinator shall appoint and supervise all Deputy County Fire Coordinators and assign them to specific functions and assist with the implementation of the County Fire Mutual Aid Plan. Deputy County Fire Coordinators shall serve at the pleasure of the County Fire Coordinator.
Local Fire Department Responsibility 1. In accordance with N J.A.C. 5:75 A-2.2, each municipal fire department and/or fire district shall participate in the County Fire Mutual Aid Plan and develop local plans for their communities with oversight and approval of the Camden County Fire Coordinator; and 2. The Fire Chief and/or representative shall provide and update on an annual basis a complete inventory of apparatus and equipment to the Camden County Fire Coordinator; and 3. The Fire Chief and/or representative is responsible for establishing and updating on at least an annual basis a written mutual aid plan for their community/district; and 4. The local plan shall include a schedule of resources that reaches a minimum of four (4) alarms in each area of their respective jurisdiction, to include technician and specialist level resources and move-up resources; and 5. The plan, to include and changes/modifications/removals/injects, planned or reactive, as required by statute, shall be submitted to the Camden County Fire Coordinator for approval; and 6. The plan, to include and changes/modifications/removal/injects, planned or reactive, shall be reviewed and approved by the Camden County Fire Coordinator as a first step, prior to official entry into the Computer Aided Dispatch system at the Camden County Communications Center. The Camden County Fire Coordinator, and his/her representatives shall exercise prudent judgement and reasoning in approving response schedule changes/modifications/removals/injects, considering time, distance, special discipline, as well as personnel and civilian welfare in their approval of said response schedules/plans. 7. Mutual Aid Plans must be submitted on the approved spreadsheet by the Station/Department Chief 8. Plans will be reviewed at the monthly fire coordinator meetings. If there is an immediate necessity for a change that cannot wait until the monthly meeting the following options can be exercised; a. Submit a temporary response form to the Communications Center detailing a request for 30 days b. Submit a request in writing to the Camden County Fire Coordinator detailing the reason to expedite the change. 9. Once the plan is reviewed, the Fire Coordinator and County Representative will sign the mutual aid plan and notify the Chief of the status. 10. If the fire coordinator staff has questions or issues with a mutual aid plan, the submitting chief will be contacted to discuss further within 48 hours after the fire coordinator meeting. Fire Coordinator Response 1. The Camden County Communications Center shall notify the Camden County Fire Coordinator, and Deputy Camden County Fire Coordinator(s) when any incident reaches the level of an all hands signal, and at the transmission of each subsequent alarm level; and 2. This notification will be put to the Coordinator on notice of any escalating incident such as a technical rescue, hazardous material release, weather related incident, marine or water rescue incident where multiple resources are required; and 3. The Camden County Fire Coordinator shall work in concert with the Incident Commander to ensure that sufficient resources are staged to handle potential needs for and incident; and 4. The Camden County Fire Coordinator shall work in concert with the Incident Commander to ensure that there are adequate move-up resources assigned to maintain local fire department service deliver; and
Fire Coordinator Response 5. On major level incidents utilizing a significant level of resources in a given municipality and/or area, the Camden County Fire Coordinator will cause the movement and management of specialized resources throughout Camden County to ensure adequate fire protection. This movement and management of resources, in the form of task forces and/or strike teams, per established guidelines for response in or out of Camden County; a. Strike Teams b. Task forces c. Reginal strike teams and/or task forces d. Wildland interface resources e. Marine strike teams and/or task forces f. Foam strike teams and/or task forces g. Water tender strike teams and/or task force