2021 ANNUAL REPORT

59

EMERGENCY SERVICES

EM

Safety Office

The Captain and three Lieutenants assigned to the Safety Office within the Emergency Services Section function as part of the command staff within the Incident Management System (IMS) during emergency responses of all types throughout the county. Responsibilities for the Safety Officer on the scene of an incident include monitoring emergency operations, evaluating changing conditions and hazards such as air quality, structural integrity, unsafe work practices, crew integrity, and regulatory compliance during technical incidents and providing guidance on weather conditions and work/rest cycles. The safety office responded to 711 incidents in 2021

In addition to their incident-based duties, the members of the safety office are responsible for the following day- to-day tasks within the Division:

• Acting as the Divisions risk management team, to ensure that the County’s risk management plan is implemented and complied with. An example of this would be performing routine inspections of fire rescue stations with our insurance carrier to maintain a safe and healthy work environment for the Divisions’ career staff and volunteers. • Oversees all health and wellness initiatives and programs within the Division. This includes annual physicals, fit testing, cancer prevention, injury prevention and the O2X performance program, which provides onsite health and wellness resources to all personnel. • Investigating vehicle collisions and incidents involving fire rescue apparatus. Performing remedial training and education to improve performance and instill safety awareness. The safety office investigated and filed reports for 112 vehicle incidents in 2021. • Investigating employee and volunteer injuries, following up with county staff and the county’s workers compensation carrier to ensure that any injured employee receives the necessary medical treatment and follow-up care. This includes coordinating care between the county’s contracted medical providers, specialists, and giving testimony before the state’s workers compensation commission. The safety office investigated and filed reports for 200 injuries in 2021.

• Managing the Divisions personal protective equipment inspection program to maximize the safety and life expectancy of equipment issued to operational personnel.

• Serving as Certified Managers for the County’s drug testing program, including random, post-accident and post injury tests.

• Representing the Division on various committees and groups such as the county’s safety committee and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Safety and Health committee.