All members operating at an incident scene are responsible for their own and their company accountability. Some type of tracking system should be in place to identify who is on a company and what their assignment is.
Incident command is ultimately responsible for knowing where each member operating at the scene is at all times. Operations sections and division/group officers also play a key role in this process. A safety officer should evaluate the use of the accountability system at an incident and monitor its effectiveness. If the system is working properly, division and group officers will monitor the units/teams within their operational area, making the safety officer’s job in accountability much easier.
Accountability systems should have back-up or redundant safeties built-in to ensure multiple layers of tracking can be accomplished. Several recent LODDs have suggested a lack of personnel accountability and every member of the fire service should be responsible for knowing how to use their accountability system.
Download this week’s firefighter training drill as a PDF HERE.
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