ERT Classification

[kadempc]

What does your state recognize your ERT as? I have been reading NFPA 600 and 1081 which is for Industrial FIRE Brigades. I have heard that when you add Rescue and Haz Mat Response to your response, you are no longer a fire brigade. Are you an Emergency Response Team or Industrial Fire Department?? All of our Fire Team members are certified as Firefighters. The same minimum certification you would need to be on a fire department. Which means you can fight structure fires, right? Or being an Industrial Fire Team is it just Exterior FFing? With OSHA standards thrown in on top of trying to meet NFPA compliance and corporate policies as well, what am I supposed to do? If our Front Office catches fire we call local FD for response, does that mean the Fire Team (who is familiar with the layout) stands by and watches, because we aren't a FD???

Apparatus?? We have been told by State Police that we do not have fire trucks. Since they are owned by a private business, they are just big red trucks that happen to resemble a fire truck.

I am in the process of researching what our classification is with the state, so we know what we can and can not do. I was just wondering if anyone else has dealt with these types of topics/situations on an administrative level or at any level at all.:confused: :confused:

[firespec35]

I know we are classified as an interior structural fire brigade. Which means we can do whatever we need to for fire suppression, confined space, and Hazmat to a tech level. If we call outside FD for help, It becomes their scene and they do not have to let us help. Now the question is does a smart IC let 20 guys who are trained to the same standard as his guys and infinately more familiar with the site sit on the sidelines or does he use them? We rarely call outside FD but when we do they usually pair us up and our fire chief becomes an advisor to command. I was told for us to become and IFD we pretty much would just have to start doing NFIRS and I know our company doesn't want the outside involvement.

[the1141man]

Apparatus?? We have been told by State Police that we do not have fire trucks. Since they are owned by a private business, they are just big red trucks that happen to resemble a fire truck.

I am in the process of researching what our classification is with the state, so we know what we can and can not do.

Might help if we knew what state you're talking about....?

[kadempc]

I live in Ohio.

I have started looking into 1081 aliitle and there are definitions re: interior structural ffing. So I just need to read into 1081 a little more then start to compare it against company policy and OSHA .

Our local FD doesn't like coming into our plant too much. So they pretty much show up and follow our lead, or like previously said use advisory roles.

I am coming into this situation new and I am trying to figure out answers to questions people have asked for awhile. To me these are important questions to answer because it gives us a direction to work towards in training.

Any other info could help. Thanks.

[SWLAFireDawg]

NFPA 1081 is actually in several classifications, but all relate to Industrial Fire Brigades.

Interior
Exterior
Advanced Exterior
Leadership
And I believe instructor.

We have members trained in all of them.

We call ourselves an Emergency Response Team, only because we are multi-discipline (Haz-Mat, Rescue, Air Monitoring, Fire) and not strictly fire response. I am not aware of there being a "classification" by the state.