69A-62.021. Minimum Requirements for a Firefighter Employer Comprehensive Safety and Health Program

(1) Safety Policy. Each firefighter employer shall issue and make available to all firefighter employees a safety policy containing a clear and concise view of the firefighter employer’s determination that safety and health management shall be of primary importance and that all employment and places of employment shall be free of recognizable workplace and environmental hazards. The safety policy shall delegate responsibilities with respect to implementing the safety and health program.

(2) Safety Policies and Procedures. Each firefighter employer shall develop and implement a set of safety policies and procedures that shall be at least equivalent to Rules 69A-62.001 through 69A-62.045, F.A.C.

(3) Safety and Health Training Program. Each firefighter employer shall implement a written safety and health training program, which shall address or include:

(a) Training, by supervisors or trained instructors, of new firefighter employees and firefighter employees transferring to new jobs, on the operating procedures of vehicles and equipment to be utilized by the firefighter employee.

(b) Instructional training for supervisors which includes management, incident command, and control.

(c) Specialized training as required by the rules of the division for those firefighter employees and supervisors who provide response, rescue and or mitigation to non-traditional fire suppression activities.

(d) The firefighter employer shall ensure and document that each authorized emergency vehicle operator has completed a 16-hour course of instruction on driving an authorized emergency vehicle, as defined by Section 316.003(1), F.S., which includes, at a minimum, classroom and behind-the-wheel training in a vehicle of the largest size, type and class used for emergency response by the firefighter employer. Additionally, emergency vehicle operators shall be familiarized with any firefighter employer vehicles prior to operating the vehicle. The training shall consist of the following:

1. Classroom Training.

a. Legal aspects of authorized emergency vehicle operators.

b. Selecting routes and reporting emergency operation.

c. The practice of defensive driving.

d. Accident avoidance.

e. Principles of vehicle control.

f. Routine safety checks of vehicle.

2. Practical.

a. Braking and control braking.

b. Backing; road position, fender judgment and steering technique.

c. Slalom; steering technique and chassis set.

d. Turn-around-steering technique; fender judgment, road position, controlled braking, controlled acceleration, understeer, oversteer and chassis set.

A list of approved courses/providers may be obtained from the Safety Program Office of the Bureau of Fire Standards and Training by calling [phone]. Fire Department or Training Center requests for the approval of other courses must be directed to the same office.

(e) Goals and objectives of the safety training program(s).

(f) Person(s) responsible for safety and the person(s) responsible for the conduct of safety training.

(g) Specific method(s) of presentation.

(h) A procedure for and the analysis of accidents, illnesses and injuries experienced by the firefighter employer to determine both the cause of the incident and methods for future prevention.

(i) A training program outline of classes to be delivered including topics and objectives.

(j) A hazard identification system.

(k) Training. Each firefighter employer shall provide training and education for all firefighters and supervisory personnel commensurate with those duties and functions that such firefighters and supervisory personnel are expected to perform. Such training and education shall be provided to firefighters and supervisory personnel before they perform any emergency activities or other activities requiring such training. Supervisory personnel shall be provided with training and education which is more comprehensive than that provided to the general firefighters.

(4) Each firefighter employer shall assure that training and education are conducted frequently enough to assure that each firefighter is able to perform the firefighter’s assigned duties and functions satisfactorily and safely. All such training shall be documented and a permanent record of attendance shall be kept.

(5) The quality of the training and education programs for firefighters and officers shall be similar to the courses or curriculum of the Florida State Fire College.

(6) Each firefighter employer shall inform each firefighter about known special hazards such as storage and use of flammable liquids and gases, toxic chemicals, radioactive sources, and water reactive substances, to which they may be exposed during fire and other emergencies. The firefighters shall also be advised of any changes that occur in relation to the special hazards. The firefighter employer shall develop and make available for inspection by firefighters written procedures that describe the actions to be taken in situations involving the special hazards and shall include these in the training and education program.

(7) Policy for enforcement of safety rules and regulations.

(a) Accident Investigation Program. Each firefighter employer shall implement an accident investigation program and shall investigate and record all accidents and near misses involving personnel, including medical only injuries, and accidents in which equipment or motor vehicles are damaged. A near miss is an incident in which no property was damaged and no personal injury sustained, but where, given a slight shift in time, position, or other circumstance, damage or injury would or might have occurred. The investigation shall determine all obtainable facts of each accident and cite cause factors and recommend corrective action.

(b) Incident Reporting. Each firefighter employer shall use the United States Fire Administration’s National Fire Incident Reporting System Fire Service Casualty Module (NFIRS-5), http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-08856, to report all firefighter employee injuries, deaths, or exposures, including casualties that occur in conjunction both with incident responses and with non-incident events such as station duties or training. The Fire Service Casualty Module (NFIRS-5) (January 2015) is hereby incorporated by reference; however, the Division shall accept earlier versions of the Fire Service Casualty Module (NFIRS-5). The NFIRS software is available as free desktop and web-based applications from the United States Fire Administration at https://www.nfirs.fema.gov/ or as NFIRS standard-compliant products that can be purchased from software vendors at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfirs/vendors/active_vendors.html. A firefighter employer that does not have internet access may print out the NFIRS-5 form, complete it with ink, and mail it to 11655 Northwest Gainesville Road, Ocala, Florida 34482-1486.

(c) The Fire Service Casualty Module (NFIRS-5) shall record all injuries, including type of accident, agencies, nature or type of injury, body location, the specific activity at the time of the injury or occurrence, cause of injury, and contributing causes of injury. Such reports shall also contain any event, injury, or occurrence enumerated in Section 112.181, 112.1815, or 112.1816, F.S., to which the presumptions therein are applicable.

(d) Each firefighter employer must document occupational injuries, disease diagnoses, including cancer, illnesses, mental health injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and fatalities using the “Fire Service Log and Summary of Occupational Injuries, Disease Diagnoses, Illnesses, and Fatalities,” DFS-K4-1568, effective (09/22), https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-15119, which is incorporated by reference (sometimes referred to as the “log and summary”). A copy of the DFS-K4-1568 may be obtained by writing the Bureau of Fire Standards and Training, 11655 Northwest Gainesville Road, Ocala, Florida 34482-1486 or by downloading the document from the Bureau’s website at https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/sfm/bfst/bfstforms.htm. The firefighter employer or person who supervises the preparation of the log and summary shall sign the log and summary. Instructions for completing the log and summary are available on the Directions for Completing Fire Service Casualty Report, DFS-K4-1569, effective (09/22), http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-15120, which is incorporated by reference. A copy of the DFS-K4-1569 may be obtained by writing to the Division of State Fire Marshal, Department of Financials Services, 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0340, or by downloading the document from the Bureau’s website: https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/sfm/bfst/bfstforms.htm.

(e) Each of the records required under paragraphs (7)(a) through (d), shall be created on a calendar year basis beginning January 1 and ending December 31 of each year.

(f) In addition to the records required in paragraphs (7)(a) through (d), each firefighter employer shall create and maintain records required by Rule 69L-56.401, F.A.C.

(g) Each occupational injury, disease diagnosis, illness, and fatality must be recorded on either the NFIRS-5 or the log and summary within six (6) days of the firefighter employer learning of the occurrence.

Rulemaking Authority 633.508, 633.518 FS. Law Implemented 633.508, 633.518, 633.520, 633.522 FS. History–New 9-6-04, Amended 6-6-07, 1-1-09, 5-22-11, 12-12-17, 2-20-23.