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PURPOSE

To establish safe operating procedures for missing, injured, or trapped firefighters or other circumstances where firefighters are compromised in a hazardous area.

PROCEDURE

• Command Responsibilities
  • If a group or individual firefighter cannot be located through a PAR, or any other time a firefighter is missing, injured, or trapped, a Mayday message will be transmitted.
  • The Incident Commander will respond to a Mayday by modifying the incident action plan to address both the firefighter rescue and firefighting operations. This plan must include committing the Two-Out or RIT team.
• Communications
  • If a Mayday communication is heard from a firefighter, the Incident Commander must first confirm the Mayday situation (e.g., person, location, conditions) before a Mayday operation is initiated. The standard communication protocol by which the Incident Commander can confirm the Mayday situation is for the Incident Commander to request a status report from the group or team that includes the firefighter who communicated the Mayday.
  • Once a Mayday situation has been confirmed, the Incident Commander must issue the Mayday, Emergency Traffic, and Clear the Air commands on the tactical radio.
  • If a Mayday is cancelled after being initiated (e.g., if the firefighter is able to self-extricate, if the firefighter is found by another team and is uninjured), the Incident Commander must issue the Cancel Mayday command on the tactical radio.
  • Once a Mayday situation has concluded, either by a rescue or a cancellation, the Incident Commander must issue the Restore Normal Traffic command on the tactical radio and then musts conduct a PAR.