This document discusses the role and responsibilities of the incident safety officer (ISO) at fire incidents. It outlines four options the ISO can use to promote safe behaviors: being visible, setting a good example, soft interventions, and firm interventions. It also identifies three "traps" that can render the ISO ineffective: focusing only on PPE, being overly concerned with liability ("CYA"), and getting too involved in firefighting tasks. The document emphasizes that the ISO must work within the incident command structure and communicate effectively with the incident commander. It describes the components of an incident action plan and the ISO's role in monitoring and providing input on the plan.

1. Fire Department Incident Safety
Officer
Third Edition
Chapter 10 — Triggers, Traps, and Working with the Incident
Commander

2. Knowledge Objectives (1 of 3)
‣ List four options that can help the incident safety officer
(ISO) trigger safe behaviors.
‣ Identify imminent threats to firefighter safety.
‣ List the three ISO “traps” and discuss how each can render
the ISO ineffective.
‣ Describe elements of an incident command structure and
the position of the ISO.
‣ Identify the components of an incident action plan (IAP).

3. Knowledge Objectives (2 of 3)
‣ Describe the components of an IAP that the ISO should
monitor.
‣ Describe methods used by the ISO to alter, terminate, or
suspend activities or operations identified as hazardous.
‣ Describe how an incident commander would be notified by
the ISO of any actions taken to alter the IAP or activities
during an operation or planned event.
‣ Describe the radio transmissions that are monitored to
indicate communication barriers or incident hazards.

4. Knowledge Objectives (3 of 3)
‣ Describe the types of incidents at which additional ISOs or
technical specialists are required due to corresponding
hazards of the incident type.
‣ Define the process for making recommendations to an
incident commander to request additional ISOs or a
technical specialist.
‣ Describe the reasons that the duties of an ISO would be
transferred from one individual to another.
‣ Define the information required during a transfer of ISO
duties.

5. Introduction: It’s All in the Way You
Deliver the Message
‣ Successful ISO uses a palette of options
‣ Passive and active options
‣ Present concerns and solutions in a way that is appealing to
the incident commander (IC)
‣ Achieve harmony:
‣ Understand and work within a defined incident command
structure (ICS)
‣ Be knowledgeable when evaluating incident action plans
‣ Address issues respectfully with the IC

6. Safety Triggers (1 of 9)
‣ Training and safety officers love the adage “Train
like we play and play like we train”
‣ The ideology reinforces safe behaviors
‣ The training officer facilitates the “train like we
play” portion
‣ The safety officer addresses “play like we train”
at incidents

7. ‣ The ISO must have a range of options to help “trigger”
situational awareness and safe behaviors
‣ Being visible (passive)
‣ Setting an example (passive)
‣ Soft intervention (active)
‣ Firm intervention (active)
Safety Triggers (2 of 9)

8. ‣ Being visible
‣ ISO should wear a high-
visibility vest that clearly
states “SAFETY”
‣ The power of suggestion
‣ Crews often stop unsafe
action or withdraw from
unsafe position
Courtesy of David Dodson
Safety Triggers (3 of 9)

9. ‣ Being visible
‣ Self-correction is desirable on scene
‣ Should be instantly recognizable from a distance
‣ Highly reflective trim
‣ Most people associate the color green with safety
Safety Triggers (4 of 9)

10. ‣ Setting an example
‣ Effective ISOs always try to set a good example while
performing their duties
‣ Habits and self-discipline that an ISO displays that
influence others
‣ ISOs must participate in crew accountability, use
appropriate PPE, follow department policies, and obey zone
markers
Safety Triggers (5 of 9)

11. ‣ Setting an example (cont.)
‣ ISOs working alone should follow some basic guidelines:
‣ Always be in sight of another responder
‣ Always have a personal alert safety system (PASS)
device turned on
‣ Always participate in established accountability systems
‣ Let someone know where you are going if you are
taking a tour of the incident scene
‣ ISOs should evaluate their environment and exposure
Safety Triggers (6 of 9)

12. ‣ Soft intervention
‣ Awareness or suggestive
communication made to
a crew
‣ Subtle reminders
Courtesy of David Dodson
Safety Triggers (7 of 9)

13. ‣ Soft intervention (cont.)
‣ Information sharing or using nonconfrontational questions
‣ “Did any of you notice…?”
‣ “What do you think about…?”
‣ “How can we avoid…?”
‣ “Is it me, or does that…?”
‣ Soft intervention should be used for potential threats, not
imminent threats
Safety Triggers (8 of 9)

14. ‣ Firm intervention
‣ A direct order
‣ Immediately stop, alter, suspend, or withdraw
personnel, activities, and operations due to an imminent
threat
‣ Is an official order, with all the authority of the IC to
back it up
‣ Authority to use and report firm interventions is reflected in
the NFPA 1561 standard (2014 edition)
‣ When used, the IC must be immediately notified
Safety Triggers (9 of 9)

15. ‣ The Bunker Cop
‣ ISO who spends too much time
looking for missing, damaged,
or inappropriate use of PPE
‣ Focused on one specific
component of safety: PPE
‣ Causes the ISO to miss the
big picture of incident
safety
‣ Undermines an ISO
program in the eyes of
firefighters
Courtesy of David Dodson
ISO Traps (1 of 4)

16. ‣ The CYA Mode
‣ ISOs who spend an inordinate amount of time ensuring that
they are not held personally accountable for incident scene
actions
‣ The ISO is in a position of liability and leverages that
‣ Firefighters see through this and dismiss the ISO’s
words
‣ ISOs must display a genuine concern for everyone’s safety
‣ Avoid the CYA label by practicing “good intent” and
“personal concern”
ISO Traps (2 of 4)

17. ‣ The Worker
‣ The ISO who pitches in
and helps crews with their
tasks
‣ Must not allow
themselves to get
involved
Courtesy of David Dodson
ISO Traps (3 of 4)

18. ‣ The Worker (cont.)
‣ If there are too few people to do assigned tasks:
‣ ISO role becomes even more critical
‣ The need to see the big picture and not get caught up
in activities is all the more important
ISO Traps (4 of 4)

19. IC Relations and Communications (1 of 4)
‣ The ISO must embrace and
support key components:
‣ Authority
‣ Communications
‣ Solution orientation
Courtesy of David Dodson

20. ‣ Authority
‣ The safety responsibility and authority that the IC and ISO
work to achieve are similar but differ slightly
‣ ISO has the authority of an IC only when an imminent
threat is present
‣ In all other cases, the ISO needs to work out issues in the
framework of the ICS
IC Relations and Communications (2 of 4)

21. ‣ Communications
‣ Monitor overall radio communications
‣ Use communications methods to maintain contact with the
IC and working crews
‣ Radio use suggestions for the ISO
‣ Face-to-face is the preferred (and most effective) method for
communications
‣ Active listening and evaluating communication
IC Relations and Communications (3 of 4)

22. ‣ Solution orientation
‣ Reasonable to bring the problem and a solution to the IC
for consideration
‣ Standard solution-orientation approach
‣ Here’s what I see (a factual observation)
‣ Here’s what I think it means (your judgment about the
hazard)
‣ This is what I would do (your solution)
‣ What do you think?
IC Relations and Communications (4 of 4)

23. The ISO’s Role Regarding IAPs (1 of 2)
‣ ISO must be dialed into the IC’s IAP
‣ Confirm the IAP with the IC
‣ Risk-management level is established
‣ Formal written IAP for certain incidents
‣ In complex situations, ISO will prepare specific forms
‣ In some cases, OSHA requires the ISO to review the IAP
and provide additional forms for the IAP packet

24. The ISO’s Role Regarding IAPs (2 of 2)

25. Local-Level ISO—Function Expansion
(1 of 2)
‣ ISO should request an ASO from command when:
‣ An incident covers a large geographic area
‣ Firefighter emergencies where the RIC has been activated
‣ An incident at which crew risk-taking is considered extreme
‣ Incidents that require the input of a safety officer for an
established plans section
‣ Incidents that require a certain technical expertise
‣ Incidents that involve the interface with local, state, or federal
health or safety representatives
‣ Multiagency incidents using a unified command structure

26. ‣ Certain types of incidents mandate the appointment of an ISO
with the appropriate training/certification
‣ Specialty hazmat incidents (technician level)
‣ Confined space rescues
‣ Trench rescues
‣ The ISO who is granted additional ASO resources needs to
brief them prior to deployment
Local-Level ISO—Function Expansion
(2 of 2)

27. Transferring the ISO Function
‣ A formal briefing needs to take place
‣ Using the MEDIC acronym can help the ISO remember what
information needs to be transferred
‣ M: Monitoring issues
‣ E: Evaluations
‣ D: Developed preventive measures
‣ I: Interventions
‣ C: Communications

28. The Role of the ISO for Regional, State, and
National Incident Types (1 of 3)
‣ As an incident response effort expands, the basic duties and
responsibilities of the ISO become more complex
‣ National incident (NIMS) typing scheme
‣ Type 5 (local event)
‣ Type 4 (local event)
‣ Type 3 (regional event)
‣ Type 2 (multiregion, state, or initial federal event)
‣ Type 1 (federal event)

29. The Role of the ISO for Regional, State, and
National Incident Types (2 of 3)

30. ‣ Transitioning to Type 1 or 2 incidents
‣ ISO role transitions from surveying incident
conditions/operations to a strategic role with lots of time
spent meeting, planning, and communicating at the
command post
‣ The IMT SOF (NIMS term for ISO) will attend a separate
command staff meeting
‣ SOFRs who serve as ASOs do the following:
‣ Monitor working teams
‣ Deploy safety measures
‣ Make interventions
The Role of the ISO for Regional, State, and
National Incident Types (3 of 3)