PURPOSE: TO DEVELOP A CONSISTENT POLICY FOR PLACING THE NGX7 BREATHING APPARATUS INTO SERVICE AND THE USE OF THE PAK TRACKER FIREFIGHTER LOCATION FEATURE

DATE ADOPTED: 1/08

DATE REVISED:     

All  Fire Apparatus located in Old Forge Borough will utilize the SCOTT NXG 7 Breathing Apparatus. This Breathing Apparatus will have the Pak Tracker Feature that will be utilized for the more efficient location of a distressed Firefighter(s) who’s PASS Alarm has been activated.

A. Each Fire Apparatus will maintain a Pak Tracker search wand. These wands will remain in the charger at all times to assure that their battery is fully charged.

B. The Officer of each apparatus, upon arrival, will provide the Pak Tracker Wand along with their Accountability Boards to the established I.C. If the IC is not yet established, the Officer of the particular Apparatus will maintain this position as prescribed in the SOG’s and maintain the Pak Tracker Wand in the ON position.

C. The wands will be turned to the on position and pointed toward the location of the working firefighters.

D. Upon the arrival of the RIT (FAST TRK) Team, the Pak Tracker wand(s) will be provided for use by the RIT.

E. Each SCBA will be programmed to emit a specific ID via the radio signal given off from the activation of the PASS Alarm. This ID will be received and displayed by the Pak Tracker device to determine the member in distress. 
 

The 93 Engine Apparatus BA’s are programmed and listed as:

E93S1
E93S2
E93S3
E93S4
E93S5
E93S6
E93S7 

The 93 Ladder Apparatus BA’s are programmed and listed as:

L93S1
L93S2
L93S3
L93S4
L93S5
L93S6 

The 933 Engine BA’s are programmed and listed as:

E933S1
E933S2
E933S3
E933S4
E933S5
E933S6
E933S7
E933S8
E933S9

All specific apparatus seats have been numbered and the specific numbered BA will remain in the corresponding seat.

Extreme care will be taken by the respective Captains and Company Officers along with each individual Firefighter that each crew member wearing a BA notes the number of the unit/seat prior to donning. Once the unit is donned, the member’s accountability tag will be placed to coincide with the appropriate number/position on the Accountability Boards. 

The ID’s will work in conjunction with the Accountability System which is currently utilized and outlined in the SOG’s. If additional SCBA’s are placed into operation, or a different type of Apparatus is utilized, the respective Captains of each entity will determine the appropriate ID number for these units. The Accountability Boards of the particular apparatus will be adjusted to reflect these changes.

F. Upon activation of a PASS Alarm the Tracker Wand will go into alarm. Upon alarm, the user will take note of the ID listed and confirm with Command the last known location of the distressed Firefighter. The wand will be utilized to more rapidly locate the distressed firefighter.
 
G. The RIT Team will immediately notify Command if they receive a distress signal via the Pak Tracker and there is not an audible PASS ALARM heard on the fire ground. Any wand activation will NOT be dismissed as an error. All signals and activations will be followed and a firm determination will be made to assure that a real distress signal is being transmitted.

H. All Tracker Wands should be kept as far a way as possible from any other radio equipment so that signal interference is not a concern.

I. The Tracker Wand operator will check the scroll feature to assure that multiple distress signals are not present. If in fact multiple signals are received, Command will be immediately notified. The RIT Team will always work toward the signal first received, followed by the additional signals in this order. It will be determined as far as practical, if one signal can take precedent over the other, based upon determined and the evaluation of the firefighter in distress. If in fact they are able to communicate via radio or voice. Command will try to obtain this information and will be the only authority to change the order of RIT Operations based upon signal activation.  

J. HAND HELD RECEIVER

THE HAND HELD RECEIVER HAS NOT BEEN EVALUATED FOR INTRINSIC SAFETY AS AN IGNITION SOURCE IN POTENTIALLY FLAMMABLE OR EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERES. DO NOT USE THE HAND HELD RECEIVER IN POTENTIALLY FLAMMABLE OR EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERES.

 K.  THE PAK-TRACKER LOCATOR SYSTEM
The SCOTT PAK-TRACKER locator system is a two part electronic system cnsisting of a Hand Held Receiver and a Transmitter. When a Transmitteris activated, it sends out a radio signal in all directions that is received by the Hand Held Receiver. Understanding how the radio signal from a Transmitter behaves and how the Hand Held Receiver receives and displays the strength of that signal are critical to understanding the operation of the SCOTT PAK TRACKER locator system. Successful operation of the PAK-TRACKER Locator system depends heavily on the interpretation of the relative signal strength information displayed on the Hand Held Receiver along with all other available information about the possible location of the activated transmitter. The Hand Held Receiver is very sensitive in responding to small differences in signal strength. The relative strength of the Transmitter signal detected by the Hand Held Receiver will vary depending on:

1. The distance from the Transmitter to the Hand Held Receiver,
2. The path the Transmitter signal has taken to get to the Hand Held Receiver
3. The materials between the Transmitter and the Hand Held Receiver which may have affected the signal from the Transmitter.
The user of the Hand Held Receiver must interpret the readings on the Hand Held Receiver display along with other information, such as:

– training and knowledge in systematic search and rescue techniques,
– their sense of sight (watch where you are going),
– their sense of sound (listen for an activated PASS device),
– the deployment of the missing personnel,
– knowledge of the building layout and building materials,

BASIC OPERATION OF THE SCOTT PAK-TRACKER LOCATOR SYSTEM

To turn ON the Hand Held Receiver, press and hold both the ENTER and
the SCROLL buttons at the same time. 

1. All lights will go on briefly for a self test after which the LCD display will show two dotted lines.
If the Personal Transmitter or the PAK-TRACKER Locator System specially equipped PAK-ALERT distress alarm is motionless for thirty (30) seconds, it will activate an alarm and transmit a signal with the Transmitter’s unique Identification Number. When the Hand Held Receiver receives the signal from a Transmitter, it will
sound an alarm. To track that ID number, make sure the ID number is on the top line of the LCD display and press the ENTER button ONCE. The LCD Display will show that you have entered the search mode.

If two or more Transmitters are activated and transmitting, press and hold the SCROLL button for three (3) seconds and continue to hold until the ID number of the Transmitter you want to track appears in the top line of the LCD display
Display. ARROWS appear at each side of the display to indicate that three or more Transmitters are activated and transmitting. Release the SCROLL button and then press the ENTER button ONCE to select the top ID number to track.  

To change which ID number you want to track, press and hold the SCROLL button for one (1) second and release to EXIT out of SEARCH mode. Press and hold the SCROLL button for three (3) seconds as before hold until the new ID number you want to track appears in the top row of the Display.

Release the SCROLL button and press the ENTER button ONCE to select  the new ID number to track.

To begin searching, hold the Hand Held Receiver horizontally at waist height in front of you. The row of LED’s and the numerical display on the Hand Held Receiver indicate the relative strength and, therefore, the approximate direction of the signal from the Transmitter. Pointing the Hand Held Receiver in the direction of the strongest relative signal and moving in that direction should lead to the activated Transmitter. When the signal strength rises above the 50% level, the row of LED’s will begin to light starting with RED at the bottom, YELLOW in the middle, and GREEN at the top. The PAK-TRACKER Hand Held Receiver averages four readings per second. 

Use a Read-Interpret-Follow process while watching the digital display for the HIGHEST number as an indication of the strongest radio signal. If there are features such as doors, hallways, openings, or windows, take readings at each feature to determine a possible general direction for the signal. If you use a sweeping motion, sweep very slowly in a horizontal direction first. Sweep vertically if you suspect that the signal may be coming from a higher or lower floor in the building. Always pause for a reading.Sweeping too fast may average a high reading with a low reading resulting
in misleading information.

Always move toward the HIGHEST relative signal strength displayed. In general, the closer you get to the Transmitter, the higher the relative signal strength. Multiple signal paths are possible. The relative signal strength must be interpreted with all other available information. The Transmitter signal will pass through some materials, reflect off some materials, and be absorbed by others. 

The Transmitter signal will usually pass through:

• openings such as gaps, holes, stairways, windows, or elevator shafts
• glass,
• wood,
• light building materials.

• metal, including structural framework
• large metal objects,
• concrete walls or floors,
• brick or concrete block construction.

The Transmitter signal will be absorbed by:
Tthe Human Body

NOTE: THE PERSON USING THE HAND HELD RECEIVER MUST ALWAYS BE AT THE FRONT OF THE RESCUE TEAM TO PREVENT MISLEADING SIGNALS CAUSED BY OTHER TEAM MEMBERS IN THE WAY. THE PRESENCE OF OTHER PEOPLE WALKING AROUND THE SEARCH MAY LEAD TO A MISLEADING SIGNAL.

SUGGESTIONS FOR USE OF THE PAK-TRACKER LOCATOR SYSTEM
At an incident, the Rescue Team must assess the situation and position themselves to monitor the locations of the active members of the incident crew. Turn on the Hand Held Receiver immediately and actively scan the
incident scene for any signal from an activated Transmitter. A signal from a Transmitter may be evident at a greater distance than an audible PASS device. Periodically, use the Hand Held Receiver to check windows and
doors for any sign of a signal.

When a Transmitter is transmitting a signal and the Hand Held Receiver responds, assess the situation first to determine the safest method to approach the search and rescue operation. The member of the Rescue Team who is operating the Hand Held Receiver must be at the front of the team to prevent signal interference from the other members of the team. The other members of the team must ensure the safety of the member using the Hand Held Receiver by maintaining situational awareness and watching for potential hazards.

Follow this Search and Rescue Process with the PAK-TRACKER locator system:

READ—Hold the Hand Held Receiver pointed at features such as doors,
windows or halls. Look for the highest relative signal strength as shown in the display on the Hand Held Receiver.

INTERPRET—Decide where the strongest signal appears to be coming from and how best to get there.

FOLLOW—Move toward the strongest signal while continuing to READ, INTERPRET, and FOLLOW.
To locate an activated Transmitter in a building, point the Hand Held Receiver at the windows and doors to locate the maximum relative signal on the display. Include pointing at windows on upper floors of the building if
the user could be on upper floors. Enter the building as close as possible to the area where the Hand Held Receiver indicated the Personal Transmitter could be and complete the search.

Successful operation of the PAK-TRACKER Locator system is highly dependent on the interpretation of the relative signal strength information displayed on the Hand Held Receiver along with all other available information about the possible location of the activated transmitter including procedures for monitoring the deployment and condition of all users.'

Continued training and practice in a variety of situations is essential to developing the skills to properly interpret the information provided by the PAK-TRACKER Locator System.