Fire Safety SOP

DEPARTMENT
OF
CORRECTION

DIVISION
OF
PRISONS
DIRECTIVE NU MBER:
124.02.01.001

PAGE NUMBER:

1 of 6
SUBJECT:

Fire Safety
Adopted: 08-17-85
Reviewed: 07-16-02
Revised: 10-08-02

01.00.00. POLICY OF THE DEPARTMENT

All institutional facilities and offices in the Department of Correction shall review fire
safety procedures at least on an annual basis.

01.01.00 Purpose

To establish a Division of Prison fire protection plan, describ e fire prevention methods,
identify the location of fire fighting equipment and outline the plan for evacuations during
fire emergencies.

This directive provides a system of fire prevention and control through the use of
efficient fire protection services and equipment, implementation of effective fire drills,
utilization of appropriate fire safety codes and regular monitoring to ensure the safety of
employees, offenders and visitors. Those systems and controls shall include the
following:

An adequate fire protection service;

Fire inspections and testing of equipment;

An annual inspection by qualified outside fire inspectors;

Placement of adequate fire protection/suppression equipment throughout the
institution;

Use of an automatic fire alarm sys tem, certified effective by an independent
outside source. The system is designed to provide early warning of the presence of fire
and/or smoke;

A written facility-wide fire evacuation plan. This fire plan shall include:

Floor plan layout;

Location of primary and secondary exits;
DIRECTIVE NUMBER:
124.02.01.001
SUBJECT:
Fire Safety
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Location of the fire suppression plan;

Quarterly fire drills;

Special procedure drills for the evacuation and control of the more dangerous
offenders;

Plans and procedures for the immediate release of offenders from locke d areas;

Plans to provide security during the fire evacuation process; and,

Location of various types of fire fighting equipment.

02.00.00. TABLE OF CONTENTS

01.00.00. POLICY OF THE DEPARTMENT
01.01.00. Purpose
02.00.00. TABLE OF CONTENTS
03.00.00. REFERENCES
04.00.00. DEFINITIONS
05.00.00. PROCEDURE
05.01.00. Fire Prevention
05.02.00. Inspection Follow-Up
05.03.00. Fire Plan Responsibility
05.04.00. Fire Fighting Equipment And Fire Fighting Personnel
05.05.00. Fire Drills
05.06.00. Evacuation Procedures
05.07.00. Fire Plan Review

03.00.00. REFERENCES

Department Policy 124, Fire Safety.

Standards for Adult Correctional Institutions, 3rd Edition, Section Numbers 3 -4199, 3-
4209 and 3-4210.

04.00.00. DEFINITIONS

Fire Drill. The total evacuation of all persons from an area. The most difficult areas for
proper fire drill procedures are usually the segregation and hospital units. Drills for
these areas, though especially important, must be conducted carefully and with
adequate security and medical staff. This added care demonstrates adequate concern
for the security of the institution and the health of the patients. Fire drills are practice
DIRECTIVE NUMBER:
124.02.01.001
SUBJECT:
Fire Safety
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sessions designed to teach participants the best means of escape in case of fire.
Periodically actual fire evacua tion drills should be performed in all units of Division of
Prison facilities.

Qualified Independent Fire Inspectors. Local or state fire officials or other non -
departmental persons qualified to perform fire inspections. Qualifications shall be
verified through state licensure or certification.

Simulated Fire Drill. The facility head may decide to use simulated fire drills in areas of
segregation or medical to protect the integrity of the institution and the welfare of both
offenders and staff. A simulated fire drill consists of the shift commander, or designee
conducting a test of fire problems in a unit and how the staff responds to these
scenarios. The staff will be critiqued on their responses and training programs
recommended if necessary. In a simulated fire drill or “staff walk through,” the drill is
unannounced and staff are timed to see how fast the response is with fire extinguishers,
SCBA, medical equipment, etc. Staff should also be responsible to actually
demonstrate how offenders would be evacuated in a real incident.

05.00.00 PROCEDURE

05.01.00. Fire Prevention

The most important aspect of an effective fire protection program is fire prevention.
Corrections employees should constantly be cognizant of fire hazards such as altered
or overloaded electrical outlets, overloaded electrical units, expended fire extinguishers,
excessive property, blocked exits and improper trash storage. Employees will make fire
prevention a basic part of their daily activities, detecting, reporting and co rrecting all fire
hazards.

All employees shall be attentive to maintaining good housekeeping standards to
augment fire safety. This shall include:

Proper storage of combustible and hazardous materials;

Preventing hazardous electrical situations;

Conducting training for offenders in fire safety procedures;

Reporting fire/safety hazards to the facility safety officer;

Checking fire suppression equipment regularly;

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124.02.01.001
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Fire Safety
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Proper storage of hazardous materials;

Evacuation planning; and,

Plan for fire suppression.

05.02.00. Inspection Follow -Up

Following the annual inspection and report of the state fire prevention inspector, office
of the state fire marshall, every effort shall be made by all divisions to correct all
deficiencies noted in the report. The facility head or designee shall notify the office of
the state fire marshall of the planned timetable to correct all deficiencies.

05.03.00. Fire Plan Responsibility

The facility safety officer shall ensure the adequacy of the fire plan and shall be
delegated authority and responsibility for plan implementation. Familiarity with the fire
plan and the procedures to be followed in the event of a fire shall be included in the
orientation process or during on-the-job training (OJT) for all new employees.
Provisions for follow-up and supplemental training in fire procedures shall be made by
the facility safety officer in coordination with the local fire department and the
Department safety officer. Their assistance is available for implementation of f ormal fire
training for employees and offenders.

Each facility will distribute and post their specific fire plan and primary and secondary
evacuation routes.

05.04.00. Fire Fighting Equipment And Fire Fighting Personnel

Fire fighting equipment and highly trained personnel are available to the institution
through the local fire department. The central emergency number for fire, paramedics,
and ambulance assistance from the fire department is 911. Dial 911 and provide the
dispatcher with all information necessary to enable dispatch of the unit nearest to the
facility.

Fire fighting/rescue equipment that must be available within each facility:

Fire hoses;

Multipurpose fire extinguishers;

Class B and C fire extinguishers; and,
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Class K fire extinguishers for food service deep fryers.

Self-Contained Breathing Apparatuses (SCBA), to be used only by trained personnel
and for search and rescue purposes only.

Fire extinguisher locations must be identified for specific facilities in field memorandum.

Each facility will have in place a plan to inspect and replace discharged fire
extinguishers on an annual basis.

Each facility will identify the location of fire hoses, standpipes, hydrants, and water shut
offs.

Each facility will identify the location of S CBA, if available. Each facility will establish
training standards that guarantee an adequate number of staff on duty who are current
in SCBA training.

Any facility having an internal fire team will have a manual of standard operating
procedures approved by the state fire marshall.

05.05.00. Fire Drills

Fire drills shall be conducted quarterly according to the posted facility schedule. Drills
will be done in every housing unit and program area at least quarterly. Drills will be
done across all shifts.

Fire drills, whether actual or simulated evacuation, shall be monitored by no less than
one (1) staff member who is independent of the area being drilled, and facility safety
officer if available.

Every fire drill shall result in a written report, forwa rded to the deputy warden, facility
safety officer, and Department safety officer, and shall minimally contain:

Area of facility drilled;

Shift;

Identity of observers;

Elapsed time for staff to respond to initial alarm/message;

Elapsed time to clear all offenders and confirm area is empty; and

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Any observed problems, delays, or security concerns.

05.06.00. Evacuation Procedures

Each facility will have written evacuation procedures and evacuation diagrams that
conform to the guidelines established by the state fire marshall. These will include
primary and secondary routes.

In the event of a fire, smoke or other life or death situation, on site staff are authorized
to evacuate the immediate area to save lives. Time and circumstances permitting , on-
site staff should contact the shift commander for authorization.

A copy of this plan shall be posted in each building in the institution.

Each facility will have facility specific emergency fire procedures and general
instructions

A copy of one (1) page general emergency instructions shall be posted in a
conspicuous place in each building and a copy of the floor plan for that area which
reflects the location of fire extinguishers, exits, and emergency equipment.

It shall be the responsibility of the facility safety officer to ensure that these floor plans
and instructions are up to date and accurate.

05.07.00 Fire Plan Review

Fire plans shall be reviewed annually. They shall be revised and updated if necessary.

____________________________________ __________________________
Administrator, Operations Division Date