IMS Alliance™
Incident Command & Passport Accountability System®
Operational Guidelines

Purpose

• The Passport Accountability System® is designed for the accountability, safety & location of all personnel within an incident perimeter when used accordingly. Participation by department(s) or agency(s) at applicable emergency scenes without entering the Passport® system in NOT recommended.

Responsibilities

• It is the intent that all agencies involved in an emergency scene / situation use the Passport Accountability System® as it is intended. The system is designed to identify and track individuals, their units and their assignments at applicable emergency scenes / situations.
• The system is designed to be expandable to accommodate multiple alarm Companies, Task Forces / Strike Teams and Volunteer / Off Duty responders.

Procedure

• Commanders at emergency incidents are encouraged to use the Passport Accountability System® to account for those Commanders, Companies, and Divisions of various descriptions and personnel within their direct span of control.
• Commanders, company members, and others at the emergency scene shall maintain an awareness of each other's physical location and condition and shall use the command structure to request help, relief, and re-assignment of fatigued or injured crews or members.
• Commanders, company officers and individual members are accountable for the safety of themselves and other members of their units. All members shall maintain an awareness of the position and function of all members working with them.
• Members shall always consider the modes of communication on an emergency scene by using one of the following methods:
1. Voice
2. Vision
3. Touch

EXCEPTION: Radio or phone contact is permissible for Apparatus Operators, Chief Officers, Commanders, etc. where the location of such personnel is constant and is known by the remainder of the response group.

• If a unit member or leader is in trouble, the other member(s) of the unit shall take the appropriate steps to:
1. Provide direct help
2. Call for help
3. Go for help
• Unit members shall stay together when in the emergency incident perimeter and as otherwise directed by the Emergency Incident Commander until the incident termination.

Maintenance of Shields and Passport®:

• Both company officers and individual members shall be responsible for the maintenance and proper placement of the helmet shields and Passport(s)® during the entire shift of duty and at emergency incidents.
• At the beginning of each shift, for all personnel changes during a shift, or when reporting directly to a station or incident, all members are responsible to maintain:
1. The correct helmet shield on their helmets
2. The name tags on the correct primary and back-up Passport®
• Where staffing allows for two teams within a single company, company officers will pre-assign the members of the teams and assign a leader of “Team B”.
• Company officers are responsible for members under their control. When a team member is split away from the company officer to a different commander, that commander and team leader are accountable for that team member.
• Individuals assigned to administrative functions, such as training, fire prevention, EMS etc., must have a helmet shield with the appropriate identification.
• Materials and supplies for on-going support of the Passport Accountability System® shall be maintained by the Operations Division.

Passport® System Implementation

• MATERIALS – The Passport Accountability System® utilizes removable helmet shields; primary, back-up and Passport® collectors; name tags; portable IMS Alliance® status boards; and make-up kits.
• HELMET SHIELDS – Each company or apparatus shall have a reflective helmet shield or reflective shield insert or panel for each assigned member on duty and for each member likely to respond to that unit. The purpose of the helmet shield is to identify the member as being a responder within the IMS Alliance® Passport Accountability System®, and the type and number of his or her assigned unit.
1. All helmet shields are to be kept in a secure yet accessible location. For personnel assigned to an apparatus, shields shall be available in the cab or passenger area of the vehicle; for personnel not assigned to the apparatus, shields shall be available in the apparatus make-up kits. Helmet shields shall be color coded as follows (recommended):

1. Officers – White with Fluorescent Red/Orange numbers/letters
2. Firefighters – Fluorescent Red/Orange with White numbers/letters
3. Aid/Medic – Lime Green with Fluorescent Red/Orange numbers/letters
4. Observer / Explorer - Blue shield with White numbers/letters.

EXCEPTION: Make-up kits shall utilize blank orange or white shields, identification markings will be black grease pencil or some reasonable facsimile that is erasable.

• PASSPORT® – The Purpose of the Passport® is to provide the accountability of individuals and unit members after entering the emergency incident perimeter.
1. Passport® (also known as Passport® Collectors) are a three part card (made of 2”x4” plastic with Velcro® hook back and loop front) that contains the following information:
1. The top portion – (in some areas) is the fire resource zone designator (first two digits), unit number designator (two to four digits) or (apparatus or unit information).

   EXCEPTIONS: Command units, administrative units, stations, or special units may have a slightly different designation after the first two digits; and team designator (if applicable). Examples: 70-E60, 80-M53

2. The middle portion holds the unit members name tags (Velcro® area).
3. The bottom portion can be used for recording such as; time, arrival, and assignment.

2. Passport® Color Codes
1. WHITE (Primary) – Normally used to track apparatus and personnel at the incident.
1. There shall be two primary Passport® (flexible center recommended) which can be attached to the officers portable radio, or under the brim of the helmet until used as a Passport® for entrance into an emergency incident perimeter.
2. The white (Primary) Passport® will display the unit identifier at the top along with other options such as region or zone number. One will be titled “TEAM A” the other “TEAM B”. They can be attached to the dash area of the apparatus on the “Officers” side in a piggy backed fashion when not in use.
2. RED (Back-up) Passport® – used when the primary Passport® is lost or the primary is unavailable.
1. The back-up Passport® shall display the identical information as the white primary Passport®. The back-up Passport® will follow the same “TEAM A” & “TEAM B” format.
3. GREEN – (Reserve) Passport®
1. Reserve Passport® (green) are identical to primary and back-up Passport® except in color. Reserve Passport® are used to replace lost primary or back-up Passport®. These Passport® may also be kept in a secure location at the station where the unit is based (normally apparatus response board).

4. Make-up Kits
1. These kits will contain a compliment of Primary, Back-up and Reserve Passport®, white name tags and helmet shields along with grease pencils. These kits will normally be stored in secure locations on apparatus and stations and may be used for;
1. Temporary replacement of any of the accountability items listed above.
2. Additional make-up companies for individuals or crew responding to incidents without the accountability items listed above.
5. Name tags
1. Each responder shall maintain a minimum of six (6) Velcro® name tags. Name tag colors shall be white, except Technical Rescue Team (TRT) members shall be BLUE and Haz-Mat Techs shall be RED where applicable. A minimum of four (4) name tags are attached with Velcro® to the underside of the rear brim of the members' helmet and are used for the following purposes:
   1. Placement on the primary and back-up Passport® of the apparatus assigned to at the beginning of a shift.
   2. Placement on the primary and back-up Passport® of the company or unit assigned to when arriving from home at the emergency scene.
   3. Immediate replacement of lost tags.
   4. Uses for special operations as designated by an officer or incident commander.
2. More than two (2) name tags will be required if responders cross-staff more than one vehicle. In such a case, their name tags will be removed from the Passport® in the remaining vehicle and replaced with name tags from the members who will eventually respond on it.
3. Company officer or assigned leader will be placed in the first position on the Passport®. Apparatus drivers are placed second on the Passport® and will be placed upside down when assigned as a pump or turntable operator.
6. “Company Name tags” (AKA – Unit Identifiers) – Each company Passport® shall have a company nametag (White writing /engraving on Orange background) attached. This company name tag will be placed directly under the “last” crew member's name tag of the crew assigned to that apparatus. The company name tag may be removed and relocated on an IMS Alliance® status board by an officer for easier identification of companies or specific functions.
• EMERGENCY INCIDENTS
1. Reporting to the incident – When a company reports to an incident base, incident staging area, or commander, they will transfer their primary Passport® to that commander, except as defined:
1. Primary Passport® will remain with the company officer (usually on the portable radio or under the officers helmet brim) when they are the only unit at the incident, when they are committed as the first responding unit(s) at an incident before the establishment of a command post or have passed command, and/or when they are directed to a remote side of an incident before the establishment of a division for their area.
2. When first arriving units, who have not transferred their Passport® to a command function, leave a hazardous area, they will report their team status to the incident commander. The commander will direct the unit to a command function or a new assignment where they will transfer their Passport® or confirm roll call of all members before placing them in service and releasing them from the scene.
2. During Emergency Incidents – Commanders will require the transfer and use of the Passport® at every incident with an established staging division or group commander, or multiple alarm(s). The incident commander may call for the implementation of the Passport Accountability System® at any time they determine the need.
1. Base area Commanders will record the time that units report to Base.
2. When a Commander (incident, sector, division or group) relieves a Company, the Commander will:
1. Confirm with the company officer that all members are accounted for.
2. Return the company's Passport® to the officer.
3. Direct the designated officer to base, staging, rehab or manpower etc..
4. Advise the designated commander that the specific company has been directed to report to him/her. The receiving commander is responsible to maintain awareness of the unit en route and assure that the unit arrives within a reasonable time.
3. Return to Service
1. All companies assigned to return to service will confirm with their command function that all members are present before retrieving their Passport® from the commander and leaving the scene.
2. All make-up companies or individual responders that have been temporarily assigned to a regular company that acquired helmet shields at the scene, will remove them before leaving the scene.
3. Volunteer or off-duty responders, who return to the stations with vehicles or Apparatus shall remove their helmet shields and take their name tags off of the apparatus Passport® prior to leaving the station. Anyone off-duty shall not have a helmet shield on their helmet or a name tag on a Passport® in any apparatus, except certain chief or staff officers with individually assigned vehicles / apparatus.

Volunteer Participation in the Passport Accountability System®

• NAME TAGS – Each volunteer responder shall be issued a minimum of four (4) name tags rather than the usual six (6) and maintain them normally under their rear helmet brim for use.
• HELMET SHIELDS – Volunteer personnel shall be issued helmet shields from the make-up kit by a command function, when assigned to a make–up unit or fire ground company after reporting to the emergency scene or, they may apply a shield from the apparatus or company that they respond with directly from a station.
• PASSPORTS® - Volunteer personnel may have their name tags placed on the Passport® of a company or make-up company by a command function after reporting to an emergency incident scene, or they will apply their own name tags to the Passport® of the unit or company that they respond with from the station. If no company officer is present, the volunteer personnel will select a company officer themselves and their name tags will be placed in the first position on the Passport®.
• REPORTING TO THE INCIDENT SCENE – All volunteer, support, booster, auxiliary or other personnel Who are normally not part of the on-duty response group shall report immediately to the appropriate command function (Base or Staging Commanders) and make their presence at the scene known. Volunteers shall take all necessary steps required to participate in any emergency related activity.

  Steps to initiate at the scene:

  1. Transfer of name tags to a Passport® will be accomplished by the volunteer via a command function upon assigning them to a company.
  2. Transfer of Passport® to a command function (if volunteers are already assigned to a company upon arrival to the scene.)
  3. Helmet shields will be required from the command function at the same time as the company assignment is given to volunteers at the scene. Volunteers who are already part of a company upon arrival will already have a helmet shield.

     EXCEPTIONS: Volunteer personnel performing support functions outside the emergency incident perimeter (or the area outside of where access to civilians is restricted) may not be required to participate in the Passport Accountability System® as long as the Incident Command is aware of their location and function.

  4. Observer / Ride Along Personnel – Persons participating in observer or ride along programs will have their names added to the unit Passport® utilizing the make-up kit. If the rider is in civilian clothes a helmet shield and an “observer” vest should be provided for temporary use.

Disclaimer: Information in this Operational Guideline is provided “AS IS” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. The data set forth herein is for informational purposes only, and no warranty is made that the information is error-free.

Limitation of Liability: IMS Alliance® will not under any circumstances be liable for any damages whatsoever, including any special, indirect, incidental, consequential or exemplary damages resulting from the use of this Operational Guideline, due to any cause, even if IMS Alliance® has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In any event, IMS Alliance's total liability to you for all damages (Whether based on contract, torte or other theories) will be limited to the amount you actually paid for the product in question. Some states and jurisdictions do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation may not apply to you.

Passport® and the Passport Accountability System® are Registered Trademarks of Legend Data Systems, Inc.

Velcro® is a Registered Trademark of Velcro USA

Copyright© 2008 All rights reserved IMS Alliance®, Legend Data Systems, Inc.

Looking to print these Guidelines? Click the link below:
Click here to print PDF Format