G2 POP Operational first aid policy.pdf

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Policy
G2 POP
Operational first aid
Introduction
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to define the operational content and assign Fire and
Emergency New Zealand personnel responsibilities for first aid at an operational 1982
incident or when undertaking medical response duties.
Contents
This policy contains the following content:
Act
About this policy
Policy
Training
Decontamination
Definitions
Related information
About this policy
Information
When to use
Fire and Emergency New Zealand personnel will follow the requirements of this
national policy when:
• Fire and Emergency personnel or members of the public receive an injury
(minor, serious, or life-threatening) at any operational incident
Official
• undertaking medical response duties as referred to in the Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) between Fire and Emergency and St John Ambulance or
Wellington Free Ambulance
the
• at other incidents where the Incident Controller(IC)/OIC Fire determines that
there is an operational benefit.
Key personnel and
The following responsibilities support this policy:
roles
Role
Key responsibilities
under
Executive Officers
ensuring this policy is followed
IC/OIC Fire
ensuring this policy is followed
Policy
Workplace first aid
For information on non-operational first aid requirements, refer to the Fire
and Emergency Safety, health and wellbeing manual.
Released
Non-emergency
Fire and Emergency personnel will not provide non-emergency medical capability
medical capability
at any public or private event for either personal or brigade financial gain.
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link to page 4 Policy - Operational first aid
General medical
Fire and Emergency personnel and resources may be mobilised to assist and
emergency
support ambulance services when dealing with emergency medical situations in
response
the community.
There are three types of response by Fire and Emergency personnel at general
public medical emergencies:
•  Non-medical ambulance assist
•  Co-response
•  First response.
1982
See the Definitions section for descriptions of these levels.
Equipment
When carrying out medical response activities, the equipment Fire and Emergency
personnel use will meet the requirements described in:
Act
•  the manifest for Fire and Emergency’s emergency medical response kit – this
was provided with and approved on roll-out of the kit
•  the manifest for the first response kit provided to selected first response
brigades by either St John Ambulance or Wellington Free Ambulance – this
was provided with and approved by the relevant ambulance service when the
kit was issued
•  Fire and Emergency Safety, health and wellbeing manual, section 12:
Preparing for internal workplace emergencies.
Information
Training
Required training
The Fire and Emergency minimum medical response training for all operational
firefighters who undertake co-response duties are:
•  Unit standard 23406: Provide first aid for trauma and medical emergency
Official
situations
•  Unit standard 6401: Provide first aid
•  Unit standard 6402: Provide basic life support
the
The Fire and Emergency minimum medical response training for operational
firefighters undertaking first response duties is to successfully complete the
ambulance provider’s first responder course.
Fire and Emergency  The following personnel will complete Fire and Emergency medical response
under
personnel required
training:
to train
•  career firefighters (during the recruit course)
•  volunteer firefighters (before attending the seven-day recruit course)
•  operational support personnel selected and approved to carry out first aid at
incidents (as soon as practicable and before providing medical assistance
during an incident).
Released
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Policy - Operational first aid
Recognition of prior  While Fire and Emergency prefers all firefighters to complete our medical
learning (RPL)
response training, we do have a process to request recognition for equivalent or
advanced prior learning (RPL).
If you are a firefighter and hold a current advanced equivalent qualification, you
may not be required to take part in a Fire and Emergency initial medical response
training course or recertification once equivalency is awarded.
You must remain current – either by renewing your external qualification and
then reapplying for equivalency, or by doing the Fire and Emergency medical co-
response recertification.
1982
Refresher training
All Fire and Emergency personnel required to complete medical response training
will keep their skills current by successfully completing recertification training
every two years.
Act
The only exceptions are personnel with first responder qualifications who have
maintained currency, or those who meet the criteria stated as part of the RPL
application and approval process.
Decontamination
Process
Any item of personal protective equipment (PPE) that gets contaminated or soiled
with body fluids during medical response activities will need to be
decontaminated. The decontamination process will vary depending on the
Information
amount of contamination, or if the contaminate is known to be highly infectious.
Following any contamination, the Fire and Emergency personnel affected will
need to enter a Safe@Work event for possible exposure.
Lightly soiled
Remove clothing, and place in washing machine on station. Ensure the
contaminated clothing is not in a mixed load with uncontaminated clothing and
Official
wash as per manufacturer instructions. Take a warm shower if you think the
contaminant has contacted your skin.
the
Heavily soiled
Bag the garment, ensuring the bag is fully sealed. Fill in a contamination label and
fix it to the bag (not the box). Fill in the appropriate forms and send the item to
TotalCare for decontamination and cleaning. Take a warm shower, or wash your
hands, if you think the contaminant has contacted your skin.
under
Infectious
If you know that the contaminant is infectious, follow the same decontamination
as for heavily soiled PPE.
If it is suspected that there is contamination from a communicable disease, and
that there has been absorption or inhalation, advise Comcen immediately, and
request contact be made to DHB Health Protection – follow all health advice.
If there is any further contamination of equipment, or in the appliance, K10 the
appliance and undertake decontamination. Take a warm shower, or wash your
hands.
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Policy - Operational first aid
Definitions
First aid
First aid is the immediate and basic care given to an injured or sick person before
a doctor, other health professional or emergency service takes over their
treatment.
Non-medical
Fire and Emergency resources are dispatched to support ambulance services to
ambulance assist
provide additional personnel and equipment.
Co-response
Fire and Emergency resources are dispatched to support ambulance services with 1982
specific calls such as cardiac arrest (purple response calls). Ambulance services are
responding but Fire and Emergency personnel may be the first on scene to
provide medical assistance.
Act
First response
Fire and Emergency resources are dispatched to support ambulance services
where they are responding but may be significantly delayed or unable to respond.
Fire and Emergency personnel will likely be the initial provider of medical
assistance and include purple, red and orange incidents.
Lightly soiled
Minor splashing of body fluids onto clothing such as blood, saliva or vomit that
does not soak through the garment and onto the skin.
Related information
Information
Policies
•  R1 POP Motor vehicle accidents policy
•  G2-1 POP Emergency Medical Support policy
Manuals
Official
•  G2 TM First aid technical manual
•  N2 TM Uniform and PPE manual the
Guidelines
•  Medical co-response recognition of equivalency guidelines and forms
•  https://portal.fireandemergency.nz/documents/medical-co-response-recognition-of-equivalency-
guidelines-and-forms/
under
References
•  RD4-4d St John Ambulance MOU
•  RD4-4f Police NZFS Ambulance NZ MOU
•  RD4-4t Wellington Free Ambulance MOU
•  Fire and Emergency Safety, Health and Wellbeing Manual
Systems
Released
•  Safe@Work
Legislation
•  Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

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Policy - Operational first aid

Document information
Owner
DCE Service delivery
Stewardship
National Manager Response Capability
Last reviewed
10 September 2020
Review period
Every second year
Record of amendments
1982
Date
Brief description of amendment
July 2010
Initial version
Act
September 2020
update to new template and structure. Owner role change. Consequential amendments to
reflect current practice agreed in MOUs, updated decontamination

Information
Official
the
under
Released
10 September 2020
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