Glossary of Terms	
Alarm Activations	
Ambulance Calls	
Apparatus Maintenance	
Brush Fires	
Motor Vehicle Accidents	
Personal Injury Accidents	
General Rules for Race Tracks	
Radio Communications	
Star Speedway	
Electrical Wires Down	
General Rules	
Bon-Fires Called in by Police	
Chimney Fires	
Non-Permit Burns	
Structural Fires	
Glossary of Terms
Apparatus	Any motor vehicle owned by The Town of Epping and assigned to use by the Department.
	
Attack Piece	see "Fire fighting Attack Apparatus"
	
Board of Fire Wards	A municipal entity in the Town of Epping formed under RSA 154 and empowered by town meeting.  The  five member Board consists of one sectmen's representative, The Chief of the Epping Fire Department and three other members publically elected by the voter's of the town.
The Fire Wards appoint the The Chief of the Epping Fire Department and are resposible for all administrative actions between the Deprtment and the Town.
	
Chief	The Chief of The Epping Fire Department.  The individual appointed by the Board of Fire Wards in accordance with RSA 154 to oversee the day to day operation of the Department and to have the ultimate responsibility for the department in any emergency.
	
Department	In this document, it refers to The Town of Epping Fire Depatment.
	
Dispatch	A term that is used to refer to the Radio Dispatcher and the physical location from which the Radio Dispatcher operates.  The primary responsibility for dispatch is to receive request for Fire Department Services an to relay those requests to the department in the appropriate manner.
	
Fire fighter	A description of job for which an individual is responsible as part of the overall responsibilities of the Epping Fire Department.
	
Fire fighting Attack Apparatus	A Motor Vehicle designed and equipped for the suppression of fires.  This vehicle generally meets NFPA pamphlet 19's requirements for an "Engine" and the ISO standard for "Class A" apparatus.  Allow the vehicle may be named as and meet the requirements of a "Tanker", it also meets the generally accepted requirements of an "Engine" by virtue of the fact that it is equipped with a full complement of hose, ladders, hand tools, etc. that are the requirements for an "Engine".
	
Race Track Details	Within the borders of Epping, there are two race tracks, Star Speedway and New England Dragway.  There level of Fire Protection is dictated not only by State and Federal Laws by a Town of Epping Ordinance that states that the Race Track shall have a level of protection deemed necessary by the chief of the Epping Fire Department.  At least yearly and sometimes more frequently the Department involvement in fire protection at those establishments is reviewed and modified.  There are currently occasions when the Department provide apparatus and manpower on a paid basis for fire protection at those tracks.  On those occasions the Town bills the race track and pays the fire firefighters directly.  This Paid detail is refereed to as a "Race Track Detail".  Race Track Details are optional and involvement in Race Track Details is not a requirement for any member of the Department.
	
Race Track Supervisor(s)	An individual or a group of individuals shall be assigned by the Chief as Race Track Supervisor(s) to oversee the matters involving Race Tracks.  That individual or group shall be responsible for scheduling and to be the primary source for the solution of any problems that arise in conjunction with Race Tracks.
	
Track Duty Officer	Defines a role of responsibility.  it refers to the member of the Department who has been assigned  the responsibility for being in charge of a Race Track Detail.  That individual may or may hold an Officers Position within the department.

Alarm Activations
The following are Standard Operating Procedures for responding to Alarm activations

1.	All apparatus shall respond to an Alarm Activation in exactly the same manner as the response to a report of a Structure Fire until instructed differently by the Officer In Charge
2.	A report, stating that there is no fire, received by Dispatch from an Owner or Alarm Company shall not automatically curtail response.  All apparatus shall continue with due caution until ordered otherwise by the Officer In Charge.
3.	Rockingham County Nursing Home & Rockingham County Jail
	An Engine Company Shall respond with a designated First Line Attack Piece.  The Apparatus shall respond to the staging area and wait for further direction from the Officer In Charge of the scene.
4.	Schools, Daycare Centers, Elderly Housing and Group Homes
	All apparatus shall respond.  The Officer in Charge shall physically inspect the site and involved equipment.  The Officer In Charge shall give a status report to Dispatch as soon as possible.  The Officer In Charge shall cancel the response of unnecessary apparatus.
5.	Private Homes and Businesses
.	All apparatus shall respond.  If possible, the Officer in Charge shall physically inspect the site and involved equipment.  The Officer In Charge shall give a status report to Dispatch as soon as possible.  The Officer In Charge shall cancel the response of unnecessary apparatus.

Ambulance Calls
The following are Standard Operating Procedures for Ambulance calls

1.	There shall be a duty crew on call each weeknight and all day Saturday and Sunday.
2.	The duty Crew shall consist of a minimum of two licensed providers.
3.	Only the duty crew and the ambulance shall sign on the air for calls unless conditions require otherwise.
4.	The Duty period shall start 16:00 during the week and end at 07:00 the following Morning.  The duty period for weekends shall start at 06:00 on Saturday ending at 06:00 on Sunday or begin at 06:00 on Sunday and end at 07:00 on Monday.
5.	The Duty Crew shall inspect the ambulance at the start and end of each duty period.
6.	The Duty Crew shall respond to all fire calls
7.	The Ambulance shall be deemed to require a CODE 3 response unless specific knowledge of the situation alters this requirement.
8.	All mutual aid calls will be handled by the Duty Crew unless another full crew is available to handle the call in a timely fashion.  If the other full crew is available the Duty Crew shall remain in town to provide coverage.
9.	EMT's must make up the ambulance crew for Mutual Aid Calls.
10.	Non emergency transfers shall be covered by non duty crew and be done only if a crew is available.
11.	Emergency transports from either Race Track in Epping will be handled the same as anyother emergency call.
12.	Race track standby requests will only be done by non duty crew.
Apparatus Maintenance
The following are Standard Operating Procedures for Apparatus Maintenance.

1.	There shall be at least one engineer appointed to oversee each piece of apparatus.  It is likely that First Line Attack Apparatus shall have more than one Engineer assigned because of the complexity of the vehicle and the key role it must play in most emergencies.
2.	The apparatus engineer shall be responsible for overseeing the Maintenance, Care, and overall condition of the vehicle.
3.	The apparatus engineer shall ensure that:
	Fluids are kept at recommended levels (e.g., Motor Oil, Pump Primer Oil, Cooling System ...)
	The Vehicle Battery(s) are Maintaining a fully charged state and are reliable.
	All Equipment that has been assigned to the apparatus is present and in proper operating condition.
	The Inventory kept for the Apparatus is current and accurate

4.	The apparatus engineer shall not be responsible to perform all maintenance, but is responsible to detect and report non-critical problems to the Full-time staff and to escalate problems to the chief if they are corrected in a timely fashion.
5.	The apparatus engineer shall be responsible to report critical problems to the Officer In Charge and so that they may be addressed immediately.  The apparatus engineer shall be responsible to escalate problems to the chief if they are corrected in a timely fashion.
6.	The apparatus engineer shall be responsible for cleaning and care of the appearance of the apparatus.
Brush Fires
The following are Standard Operating Procedures for Brush Fires.

1.	Apparatus shall respond to alarms for Brush Fires.
2.	Because of the non-obvious nature of some Brush Fires, only Fire Department and Forestry Department personnel shall have the power to cancel a response.
3.	All Apparatus shall remain on hard surfaces, until ordered to do otherwise by the Officer-In-Charge.
4.	When apparatus is off hard surfaces, extreme caution should be used to avoid becoming "stuck" or situations that may incur unnecessary property damage or damage to the apparatus.  To avoid those situations, whenever possible have someone outside the vehicle guide you into the area.
5.	Life safety, protection of structures, and extinguishment of the brush fire is the order of priority in all Brush Fires.
6.	An Incident Command shall be setup as soon as the first officer or apparatus arrives on the scene.
7.	On large brush fires, the fire shall be sectored off, with pieces of Forestry apparatus at the head of the fire.
8.	Due caution shall be exercised to avoid destruction of the evidence that indicates the cause of the fire. 
9.	During the Mop-Up  stage, Firefighters shall report any extreme hot spots to the Officer In Charge.
10.	Brush Fires shall not be reported  Under Control until the perimeter of the fire is completely extinguished and the area is check for extensions.
11.	The Mop-Up stage shall continue until there are no extreme hot spots and the perimeter is soaked down.
12.	Apparatus shall remain on scene until that is checked by a representative of the State of New Hampshire Forestry Department ( e.g., District Fire Chief, Forest Fire Warden, Deputy Forest Fire Warden, ...) or the Officer In Charge.
13.	The Forest Fire Warden shall be notified of any brush fire as soon as possible.
14.	A forest fire investigation report is to be completed on all brush fires and non-permit burns.  The reports are to be completed by the Warden, Deputy Warden or the Officer In Charge.  The report shall be given to the Forest Fire Warden as soon as possible.
15.	Any problems relating to Forestry Apparatus or Equipment shall be reported to the Forest Fire Warden as soon as possible.

Motor Vehicle Accidents
The following are Standard Operating Procedures for response to activity at Motor Vehicle Accidents for which both Fire and Ambulance Personnel have been requested.

1.	To reduce the amount of radio traffic, only Fire Officers, Duty Ambulance Crew, and Apparatus shall sign on the air with Dispatch.
2.	All Fire Apparatus Shall be parked 50 to 100 feet back from the vehicles involved in the accident.  The Rescue shall be positioned so that extrication equipment can be reached easily.  This implies that if equipment from the Rescue is going to be used, the Rescue may need to be positioned closer than other apparatus and may not be subject to the 50 to 100 foot rule.
3.	All Fire Apparatus and all other vehicles shall be parked on the same side of the road.  If it is possible to determine, all vehicles shall be parked on the same side of the road as the accident.
4.	All Vehicles shall be parked to allow clear access to the scene for ambulances.
5.	Any member seeing a hazard that may not have been previously noticed shall bring it to the attention of the Officer in Charge.
6.	Prior to beginning an extrication effort that may cause concern to a victim or attendant firefighters shall adivse attendants inside and around the vehicle of the intended action.
7.	The Primary response vehicles for any Serious Motor Vehicle Accident shall be a Fire fighting attack piece of apparatus, the Rescue and an Ambulance.  Other equipment shall be requested as needed.
		
Personal Injury Accidents
The following are Standard Operating Procedures for incidents involving Personal Injury of a Department member.

1.	All personal injury accidents shall be reported to the Officer in Charge and the Fire Chief as soon as possible.
2.	All injuries shall be checked by Ambulance Personnel at the scene.  If, in the Ambulance Attendant's opinion, the injury warrants further attention, or if the injured party requests, the injured person will be transported to the hospital to be checked by hospital staff.
3.	The Officer In Charge shall notify the Fire Chief as soon as possible after the accident.  If it is not possible to notify the Chief within one hour after the accident, the Officer In Charge shall notify one of the Deputy Fire Chiefs.
4.	The Officer In Charge, the Fire Chief, or the Chiefs representative shall have the injured party complete a Workman's compensation form as soon as possible.  The town is required to forward that form to the State within 5 working days.  However, if you are injured, unless your injuries make it impossible, you are responsible to file the Workman's Compensation form even if no one specifically requests that you do it.
5.	After some accidents, and all serious accidents, the Injured Party and any Fire Department member who has any knowledge that will aid in the investigation of the accident shall be required to provide a written statement to the Fire Chief or the Officer in Charge.  This written report shall be submitted as soon as possible.
6.	Fire Department members shall cooperate fully with authorities investigating any accident.

General Rules for Race Tracks
The following are Standard Operating Procedures for crews assigned to work a detail at any race track.

1.	Race Track Details are optional duty for which members are paid by the town on an hourly basis.  The rate of pay is reviewed annually by the Board of Fire Wards and is negotiated by the town and the Race Track.
2.	Race Track Details are optional and involvement in Race Track Details is not a requirement for any member of the Department.
3.	To qualify to be part of the duty crew for a race track details, a department member must have completed Fire Extinguisher Training.  Preference of assignment is given to individuals with more firefighter training, however an effort is made to allow all interested individuals to be part of race track details.
4.	An individual or a group of individuals will be assigned by the Chief as Race Track Supervisor(s) to oversee the matters involving Race Tracks.  That individual or group shall be responsible for scheduling and to be the primary source for the solution of any problems that arise in conjunction with Race Tracks.  Although it is desirable to bring any problems directly to the Race Track Supervisor(s), any problem may be escalated to more senior department officers without involving the Race Track Supervisor(s).
5.	A written schedule shall be created by the Race Track Supervisor(s).  It shall be distributed to interested members with sufficient lead time to allow individuals plan for details.
6.	The order in which the names are listed on the schedule signifies the individuals' responsibilities for that event.  It shall be as follows
1.	The individual whose name appears first on schedule is the Track Duty Officer and will drive the fire fighting pickup at the track.
2.	The individual whose name appears second on the schedule is the Engineer and will drive the Apparatus at the track and be responsible for Mechanical Operations.
3.	The individual whose name appears third on the schedule is the Firefighter who will ride in the front of the fire fighting pickup at the track.
4.	The individual whose name appears fourth on the schedule is the Firefighter who will ride in the front of the Apparatus at the track 
5.	For special events that require a larger team, specific assignments will be made by Track Duty Officer

7.	At the station prior to a scheduled event, a sufficient amount of foam ( a minimum of 5 gallons ) and a sufficient number and types of extinguishers shall be loaded on the Apparatus.
8.	Personnel on Race Track Duty shall wear Epping Fire Department track duty uniforms, which consists of dark blue pants ( not Blue Jeans ), an Epping Fire Department uniform shirt, and black shoes.
9.	During the Race, all Personnel on Race Track Duty shall wear their full set of protectiive Clothing provided to them by the Epping Fire Department.
10.	No individuals, except for Epping Fire Department Personnel on Race Track Duty, shall be allowed to stand on the fire fighting apparatus. Nor shall they be allowed to stand in an area that could have a negative effect upon the response capabilities of the Fire fighting apparatus.
11.	At the completion of the event the Track Duty Officer shall be responsible to verify that all equipment has been stored properly on the apparatus before leaving the track.  The Track Duty Officer shall also be responsible to determine when enough of the Public has left the race track area to allow the apparatus to return to the station.
12.	Before being dismissed from duty, the Race Track Duty Personnel shall ensure that all apparatus and equipment used in conjunction with their event is back in service and that the interior of the apparatus has been cleaned.  The Track Duty Officer shall be responsible to verify that all equipment is in the proper condition before dismissing the Track Duty Crew.
13.	Within 24 hours of the completion of a race event, the Race Track Duty Personnel shall wash the exterior of the Apparatus that was used in the event.
14.	The Track Duty Officer shall be responsible to record and deliver the hours worked by the duty crew to the appropriate party so that the Race Track Duty Personnel receive their pay in a timely fashion.
Radio Communications
The following are Standard Operating Procedures for use of the radio frequencies that are used by The Epping Fire Department.

1.	Two-Way Radios belonging to the Epping Fire Department and other radios that are being used on frequencies which require authorization for use from the Epping Fire Department, shall only be used on those frequencies for emergency purposes and business pertaining to the Epping Fire Department.
2.	All communications shall be necessary, brief and to the point.
3.	Use of "10" codes that are common for the frequency is permissible; however, if you are unsure of a code, use common language.
4.	The 154.190 MHz frequency is generally referred to as "Seacoast"  It should be used to communicate with Dispatch, or other Base Radios that monitor that frequency.  It is the frequency on which tones are transmitted for reception by pagers for receipt of emergency alarms and information.  It is a very heavily used frequency by a large number of agencies and therefore particular attention should be paid to keeping radio traffic on this frequency to a minimum.  The 154.190 MHz frequency is usually programmed as Channel 1 ( One ) on Department radios.
5.	The 154.280 MHz frequency is generally referred to as "Fire Ground".  Upon arrival at a working emergency scene, units should switch to this frequency for all radio traffic pertaining to that emergency.  It is not generally permissible for Base Radios to use this frequency and therefore, communication from the emergency scene to Base Radios should be done on other frequencies.  The 154.280 MHz frequency is usually programmed as Channel 6 ( Six ) on Department radios.
6.	The 155.850  MHz frequency is generally referred to as "Town".  It is the best channel to use for routine business communications between fire units.  It is also the frequency on which a fire unit can directly communicate with an Epping Police Unit or an Epping Town Highway Department unit.  The 155.850  MHz frequency  is usually programmed as Channel 10 ( Ten ) on Department radios.
Star Speedway
The following are Standard Operating Procedures for crews assigned to work a detail at the Star Speedway.

1.	If the apparatus that is going to Star Speedway is housed in the West Epping station, it will leave that station one hour before the scheduled race time and proceed directly to the Central Station.
2.	The apparatus shall arrive at Star at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled race time.  To ensure this, the apparatus shall leave the Central Station to travel to Star at least forty-five minutes prior to the scheduled Race Time.
3.	Upon arrival at Star, all on-duty personnel shall sign-in on the form provide by Star Speedway.
4.	No on-duty personnel shall leave a post unless approved by the Track Duty Officer.  If the Track Duty Officer finds it appropriate, it is acceptable for  on-duty personnel to go to concession stands during intermission.  Under any circumstances they are to be back at their post before drivers for the next race start driving their race cars around the track.
5.	While at the race track, the Apparatus will be parked directly behind the Fire fighting Pickup.  The Fire fighting Pickup shall be positioned on the North edge of the pavement in the center of the race track.
6.	In addition to other required Firefighter qualifications for track duty, Firefighters who have not previously been part of the duty crew at Star Speedway will be required to be an additional, unpaid member of the duty crew the first time they go to Star to familiarize themselves with standard mode of operation in that unusual environment.
Electrical Wires Down
The following are Standard Operating Procedures for incidents involving Electrical Wires that are Down.

1.	Appropriate apparatus will respond in dry weather only.  For calls that occur in other than "dry" weather, the Officer in charge shall investigate and request equipment response as necessary for the conditions.
2.	To minimize the possibility of injury, all personnel shall consider any conductor to be energized and shall act accordingly.
3.	Personnel and apparatus shall be positioned in manner that will secure a minimum of a Two-Hundred Foot (200') Safety Zone whose outside perimeter is determined by maintaining a One-Hundred Foot (100') radius around the Downed Conductor or any other conductor that could possibly be energized by the downed conductor (e.g., fences or guard rails).
4.	The first member on the scene shall start the process of securing the area. Each additional member that arrives shall assist in the effort until the area is secured or the Officer In Charge gives order that supersedes this procedure.
5.	No person shall be allowed inside the Safety Zone without approval from the Officer In Charge.
6.	The closest Utility Pole Number shall be acquired and recorded to aid the Utility company's response.
7.	Dispatch shall be requested to contact the appropriate Utility company as soon as possible after arrival at the scene.
Full-Time Positions

The following are Standard Operating Procedures for Full-Time Positions.

1.	To provide ambulance service including EOA (Esophageal Obturator Airway) 
	and Defibrillation and maintain all necessary certification.

2.	To do proper paperwork and record keeping according to department regulations.

3.	To verify the restock and resupply of the ambulances and stockroom.

4.	To verify maintenance of all department vehicles including, testing, washing,
	waxing and interior upkeep,

5.	To do minor maintenance or schedule maintenance of vehicles.

6.	To provide fire protection and prevention programs including scheduling Epping
	School System participation and taking an active part in  Fire Prevention Week.

7.	Inspect, rotate and repack hose on racks and in the vehicle hose beds on a regular
	basis.

8.	To put dry hose back in service when ready.

9.	Check and service all small equipment (EG. jaws, portable pumps, chain saws, 
	generators, lights, etc.)

10.	Do fire inspections as required by law (eg. oil burner inspections)

11.	To answer questions and interface with the public.

12.	To provide general housekeeping and maintenance for both stations.

13.	To set-up for training and provide assistance or training when appropriate.

14	To attend all meetings, training sessions and any other events that are required of
	the general membership of the department.

15.	To continue to upgrade level of certification, to attain at least the level maintained by 
	the general membership.
Mutual Aid

The following are Standard Operating Procedures for Mutual Aid.

1.	Apparatus to respond, shall be a first line piece of apparatus.

2.	Crew minimum:
	A.	Engine Company
		1.  Engineer; stays with apparatus to monitor radio, operate pump.  When an officer
		     is not present the engineer is ranking officer for apparatus and crew
		2.  Officer; in charge of the truck and assigned engine crew, responsible for all actions
		3.  Engine crew; certified inside firefighters work inside attack.

3.	Tanker
	A.	Engineer
	B.	Officer
	C.	Apparatus need not wait for crew

4.	When responding in privately owned vehicle report to Epping Officer on scene,
	IN PERSON, and he will decide where you are needed.

5.	Engine Company Crew:
	Crew will consist of four qualified interior suppression firefighters.  All crew members
	responding will be under the direction of the apparatus officer.  All crew members will 
	be in full protective clothing and buckled into crew seats before apparatus is moved.
General Report Writing

The following are Standard Operating Procedures for General Report Writing

1.	Try to get all the information at the scene at the time of the incident from the
	occupant and/or owner.

2.	Make written notes.

3.	Do the written report as soon as possible, while the events are still fresh.

4.	Any injuries need separate workman’s compensation forms as soon as 
	possible after the injury.
Definition of Responsibility

A.	Fire Officer, Line Officer or Chief Officer:

	Will verify location of fire with dispatch.

	Will then personally check in with the Incident Scene Command to allow
	for separate crew and apparatus job assignments.

	Is responsible for accounting for all Epping Fire Department personnel on scene before 
	clearing incident scene and returning to home station.

	Will clear all Epping apparatus from the scene when ever possible.

	Daily duty officer is Primary Officer.  The first officer in station can assume
	responsibility for apparatus and crew.

B.	Engineer; qualified to drive and operate mutual aid responding apparatus.

	On scene, engineer will don all protective clothing and await job assignment.

	Engineer is responsible for getting his apparatus to in service condition before
	leaving incident scene whenever possible.

C.	Engine Company; minimum crew of three certified inside suppression firefighters.

	ALL CREW MEMBERS WILL BE IN FULL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND BUCKLED
	INTO CREW SEATS PRIOR TO APPARATUS BEING MOVED.

	On scene, all crew members will remain with the apparatus in their seats buckled in 
	until receiving an assignment.

	Engine crew can expect to work with other department crews, be under the direction
	of an assigned Scene Officer and work inside first line suppression attacks.

	Crew is responsible for turning in their individual name tags to the Safety Officer before
	entering structure and retrieve them when exiting.

	All responding apparatus members are responsible for their own assigned  protective clothing.

Car Fires

The following are Standard Operating Procedures for Car Fires.

1.	A tanker, rescue and ambulance will respond to all car fires.

2.	First person on scene with radio report a windshield survey.  All personnel use
	caution upon first approach.  If haz-mat involved use Haz-Mat SOP’s.

3.	All vehicles to park 50-100 feet from fire on same side of road in breakdown
	lane if possible.

4.	Appropriate attack lines to be used.

5.	A second line to be charged only if necessary or ordered by officer in charge.

6.	All personnel working in the immediate area of the fire shall be in SCBA.

7.	Do not do extensive damage unnecessarily.

8.	Officer in charge will decide when fire is out and S.C.B.A.S’ are no longer needed.

9.	An officer will get as much information as possible on; the car, owner, driver, how 
	it started.

10.	All personnel to report back to central station to insure all S.C.B.A.S’ and all equipment
	are put back into service.

Petroleum & Haz Mat Spills

The following is Standard Operating Procedures for Petroleum and Haz-Mat Spills.

Use sand 100% of the time when possible, to cover area.

notify Troop

Ivestigation Report Writing

The following are Standard Operating Procedures for Investigation Report Writing.

1.	Begin investigation enroute to the scene, take note of anything unusual 
	(eg. suspicious vehicles, pedestrians etc).

2.	Upon arrival at the scene, notice location of fire, heavy smoke or color of same.
	Any unusual odors (eg. oil, gasoline, diesel, etc).

3.	Entry made by force or were there any open doors, windows etc.

4.	Where fire was last put out.

5.	Don’t disturb anything not necessary for extinguishment of fire.

6.	Try to determine what caused fire if apparent, if not call Fire Marshal.  If they can’t come,
	someone will have to remain on scene at the expense of the fire department, at town rate.
	Usually not more than two people per shift.

7.	Secure all evidence and include the Police Department in your discovery.

8.	Make written notes of all that happened from the time of the call to the end.  Ask everyone
	there if they noticed anything unusual or of importance.

9.	Try to make yourself available for the Fire Marshal when they arrive.

Glossary of Terms
Apparatus	Any motor vehicle owned by The Town of Epping and assigned to use by the Department.
	
Attack Piece	see "Fire fighting Attack Apparatus"
	
Board of Fire Wards	A municipal entity in the Town of Epping formed under RSA 154 and empowered by town meeting.  The  five member Board consists of one selectman's representative, The Chief of the Epping Fire Department and three other members publicly elected by the voter's of the town.
The Fire Wards appoint the Chief of the Epping Fire Department and are responsible for all administrative actions between the Department and the Town.
	
Chief	The Chief of The Epping Fire Department.  The individual appointed by the Board of Fire Wards in accordance with RSA 154 to oversee the day to day operation of the Department and to have the ultimate responsibility for the department in any emergency.
	
Department	In this document, it refers to The Town of Epping Fire Department.
	
Deputy Forest Fire Warden	A position nominated by the Forest Fire Warden and appointed by the State of New Hampshire Forestry division to aid the Forest Fire Warden in overseeing  all matters relating to open fires within a designated area.  The Town of Epping is a designated area and has a Forest Fire Warden position assigned to it and a fixed number of Deputy Forest Fire Wardens whose job it is to represent the same interest in the Warden's absence and to aid the Warden in the execution of responsibilities.
	
Dispatch	A term that is used to refer to the Radio Dispatcher and the physical location from which the Radio Dispatcher operates.  The primary responsibility for dispatch is to receive request for Fire Department Services an to relay those requests to the department in the appropriate manner.
	
Fire fighter	A description of job for which an individual is responsible as part of the overall responsibilities of the Epping Fire Department.
	
Fire fighting Attack Apparatus	A Motor Vehicle designed and equipped for the suppression of fires.  This vehicle generally meets NFPA pamphlet 19's requirements for an "Engine" and the ISO standard for "Class A" apparatus.  Although the vehicle may be named as and meet the requirements of a "Tanker", it also meets the generally accepted requirements of an "Engine" by virtue of the fact that it is equipped with a full complement of hose, ladders, hand tools, etc. that are the requirements for an "Engine".
	
Forest Fire Warden	A position appointed by the State of New Hampshire Forestry Division to oversee all matters relating to open fires within a designated area.  The Town of Epping is a designated area and has a Forest Fire Warden position assigned to it.  The Forest Fire Warden has the power to nominate a fixed number of Deputy Forest Fire Wardens whose job it is to represent the same interest in the Warden's absence and to aid the Warden in the execution of responsibilities.
	
Non-Permit Burn	A fire that has been started by an individual or group whose intention was to maintain control of the fire to accomplish a task (such as elimination of a brush pile) without having procured a permit from the Forest Fire Warden or the Forest Fire Warden's representative.
	
Race Track Details	Within the borders of Epping, there are two race tracks, Star Speedway and New England Dragway.  There level of Fire Protection is dictated not only by State and Federal Laws by a Town of Epping Ordinance that states that the Race Track shall have a level of protection deemed necessary by the Chief of The Epping Fire Department.  At least yearly and sometimes more frequently the Department involvement in fire protection at those establishments is reviewed and modified.  There are currently occasions when the Department provide apparatus and manpower on a paid basis for fire protection at those tracks.  On those occasions the Town bills the race track and pays the fire firefighters directly.  This Paid detail is refereed to as a "Race Track Detail".  Race Track Details are optional and involvement in Race Track Details is not a requirement for any member of the Department.
	
Race Track Supervisor(s)	An individual or a group of individuals shall be assigned by the Chief as Race Track Supervisor(s) to oversee the matters involving Race Tracks.  That individual or group shall be responsible for scheduling and to be the primary source for the solution of any problems that arise in conjunction with Race Tracks.
	
Ranking Officer	A description of a job responsibility and not necessarily an appointed position.  A Ranking Officer can only be identified when an individual is compared to another individual or group of individuals.  The Ranking Officer is someone who has either been appointed to an officers position or a title ( e.g., Firefighter I) that is higher than the person or group to whom they are being compared.  If two individuals holding the same title are compared the one with more seniority in that title is the Ranking Officer.

This implies that any individual in the department may have to assume a leadership role in any given situation.
	
SCBA	See Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
	
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus	Generally referred to as Air Packs, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus refers to apparatus consisting of a pressurized air bottle, a pressure and flow regulator, and a mask that covers the face and excludes any of the gases from the outside environment.
	
Track Duty Officer	Defines a role of responsibility.  It refers to the member of the Department who has been assigned  the responsibility for being in charge of a Race Track Detail.  That individual may or may not hold an Officers Position within the department.

General Rules
The following are Standard Operating Procedures that are general in nature and cover a number of environments that are covered in more detail  within the Standard Operating Procedures.

1.	Non-Ambulance Personnel shall not respond to any ambulance calls unless specifically requested as an individual, a part of a group ( e.g., Firefighters have been toned to the scene of a serious motor vehicle accident.
2.	All Fire Apparatus and all other vehicles shall be parked on the same side of the road.  If it is possible to determine, all vehicles shall be parked on the same side of the road as the emergency incident.
3.	In situations that require protective clothing, Firefighters shall wear all the protective clothing that was issued to them by the Epping Fire Department unless they are directed to do otherwise by written policy or by a Ranking Officer.
4.	Firefighters shall wear Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) in any situation where there is even a remote possibility of exposure to toxic materials.  This shall be construed to include contact toxic materials as well as toxic more commonly associated with respiratory danger.
5.	Only members who have successfully completed the SCBA training course that has been approved by the State of New Hampshire shall wear SCBA.  Other individuals shall remain out of any area that poses a threat of providing a toxic environment.

Bon-Fires Called in by Police

A Forestry Unit shall respond with a minimum of two people.
1.	All units all use a Code 1 response unless order otherwise.
2.	Personnel responding  in their Privately Owned Vehicles, shall not enter the area until the Forest Fire Warden, a Deputy Forest Fire Warden, or the Fire Duty Officer have arrived on the scene.
3.	No Personnel nor Equipment shall enter the area until the Police have reported the area is secure to the Officer in Charge.
4.	Personnel shall avoid confrontation and refer anyone asking questions to a police officer.
5.	Personnel shall extinguish the fire and leave the scene promptly.
6.	The area shall be checked again in the morning by the Forest Fire Warden or a Deputy.

Chimney Fires
The following are Standard Operating Procedures for Chimney Fires.

1.	Any request to the department or any member of the department to check a chimney for a Chimney fire shall be relayed to dispatch where it will be toned as a Chimney Fire.
2.	 The response to an alarm received for a chimney fire shall be same as the response to an alarm received for a Structural Fire.
3.	Upon arriving at the scene, a thorough investigation of the scene will be made to determine any extension of the fire and to determine what hazards exist.
4.	If, at any time, it is determined that a portion of the structure has become involved the Officer in Charge shall request dispatch to retone the fire as a structural fire.
5.	The number of firefighters entering the structure shall be determined by severity of the fire.  The minimum shall be an Officer and at least one firefighter for each level of the structure.  Need for more personnel shall be determined by the Officer in Charge
6.	Salvage covers shall be placed on floors to protect them from firefighter's boots.
7.	There shall be a concerted effort to use a minimum amount of water on chimney fires to avoid unnecessary damage.
8.	Need and use of Ladders shall be determined by the Officer In Charge.
9.	The roof and outside exposures shall be watched for potential problems.

Non-Permit Burns
The following are Standard Operating Procedures that pertain to the handling of Non-Permit Burns.

1.	All reported Non-Permit burns shall be extinguished unless ordered otherwise by the Forest Fire Warden, a Deputy Forest Fire Warden, or the Fire Officer In Charge.
2.	All apparatus and personnel shall use extreme caution to avoid damage to personal property especially such things as lawns and shrubbery when extinguishing a Non-Permit burn,
3.	Any unattended burn that would normally require a burning permit, even if it appears to be in a controlled, confined condition, is to be considered a non-permit burn and should be reported to he Forest Fire Warden, a Deputy Forest Fire Warden, or the Fire Duty Officer.  The fire will then, at the Forest Fire Warden, a Deputy Forest Fire Warden, or the Fire Duty Officer's discretion, be extinguished.

Structural Fires
The following are Standard Operating Procedures for Structural Fires.

1.	Only individual who have been certified at minimum Level 1 firefighters and shall engage in the interior attack of a structural fire.
2.	Firefighters who are entering a structure shall have all protective clothing worn in the manner prescribed by the manufacturer to provide the maximum protection.
3.	Firefighters who are entering a structure wearing SCBA shall give their identification tag to the safety officer before entering and shall retrieve the identification tag immediately upon exiting the structure.
4.	Firefighters who are entering a structure wearing SCBA shall wear a Personal Motion Warning device designed to detect and provide a means of locating firefighters in trouble.  The device shall be set in the armed position before entering the structure.