Baltimore County Fire Department MAYDAY Procedures

Official Information and Objective

• Organization: Baltimore County Fire Department.

• Standard Operational Procedure (S.O.P.) Identification: Tactical Operations $\#09$.

• Subject: MAYDAY Procedures.

• Division: Emergency Operations.

• Revision Date: $1/28/04$.

• Objective: To establish and provide a uniform method for notifying the Incident Commander (IC) when $1$ or more Fire Service personnel are lost, trapped, or ill within a life-threatening environment.

Section $1$: Purpose

• Policy Establishment: The core purpose is to establish specific procedures to be followed during a MAYDAY event.

• Early Notification: Fire Service personnel are reminded that early notification of their situation is critical for survival.

• Assistance Requests: Personnel must not hesitate to notify Command for assistance.

• Rescue Intent: The policy aims to make the necessity for rescuing fire service personnel absolutely clear.

• Terminology Distinction: This policy explicitly delineates MAYDAY from other radio terms to prevent confusion. It should not be confused with:

  • Emergency Traffic.

  • Urgent.

  • Other general distress terms.

Section $2$: Definition and Indicators of a MAYDAY

• General Definition: A MAYDAY is a specialized term indicating that $1$ or more Fire Service personnel are in a life-threatening situation and require immediate assistance.

• Radio Terminology: The specific term to be used is "MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY" ($3$ repetitions).

• Criteria for Use: This term is used to notify the Incident Commander of personnel conditions including:

  • Lost personnel.

  • Trapped personnel.

  • Personnel in need of immediate medical assistance within an environment where Life Threatening Condition(s) may exist.

• Examples of MAYDAY Situations:

  • Being lost or disoriented.

  • Suffering sudden chest pains or difficulty breathing during fire suppression operations.

  • Activation of a low air alarm with no available egress point.

  • Being trapped in a structural collapse.

• PASS Device Indicators:

  • An activated Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) device for more than $1\,\text{minute}$ within an area with Life Threatening Condition(s) is treated as a distress signal.

  • Command will determine if a MAYDAY is required based on this activation.

• Emergency Button Activation: Any activation of the Emergency Button on a portable radio from a unit on location will be treated as an active MAYDAY until proven otherwise.

• Personnel Accountability Report (PAR): Defined as a report provided by a company officer or member stating whether they have visual contact with all members of their crew.

Section $3$: MAYDAY Transmittal Procedure

• Initial Notification: Personnel who are lost, disoriented, or trapped and have radio contact capability with Command must use the term "MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY".

• LUNAR Acronym: Personnel declaring a MAYDAY must provide the following information if possible:

  • L: Location.

  • U: Unit Number.

  • N: Name.

  • A: Assignment.

  • R: Resources needed for rescue.

• Radio Interface: If possible, personnel should manually activate the Emergency Button on their portable radio.

• Post-Transmittal Actions:

  • Once the MAYDAY is called and LUNAR information is provided, the personnel must manually activate their PASS Device intermittently.

• Procedures for Failure to Communicate via Radio:

  • If personnel cannot communicate by radio, they must activate their PASS Device manually and intermittently for periods of at least $1\,\text{minute}$.

  • This duration distinguishes the signal as a formal MAYDAY rather than a pre-alert triggered by inactivity.

Section $4$: Command Procedures

• Radio Traffic Control: Upon receipt of a MAYDAY, only radio traffic specifically related to the MAYDAY situation is permitted. The Incident Commander (IC) assumes full control of all radio communications.

• Exceptions for Critical Information: Personnel may pass along information if it is deemed critical, even during a MAYDAY freeze.

• Announcement: The IC must announce or cause the announcement of the MAYDAY situation.

• PAR Requirements during MAYDAY:

  • If the personnel in distress provide full LUNAR information, an immediate PAR is not necessary for the whole scene.

  • If LUNAR information cannot be communicated, the IC must conduct a PAR of all units currently functioning in the life-threatening environment.

• Company Commander Responsibilities: Company Commanders will conduct an immediate PAR of their own specific personnel. They only notify Command if they are missing personnel.

• Tactical Talkgroups:

  • The IC may utilize additional Tactical Talkgroups for operations not related to the MAYDAY or Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) operations.

  • Strict Restriction: At no time shall the crew involved in the MAYDAY be switched to an alternate Talkgroup.

• Progress Reports: Command must provide periodic "Brief Progress Reports" to Dispatch, which include details regarding RIT operations.

• Conclusion: Command must notify Dispatch when the MAYDAY event has concluded.

Section $5$: Dispatch Response to a MAYDAY

• Additional Resources: Dispatch will assign an additional alarm to the incident (either a $2^{\text{nd}}$ alarm or a specific "additional" alarm). These resources are for the IC to deploy as needed.

• Monitoring Duties: Dispatch will assign a specific Operator strictly to monitor the Talkgroup where the MAYDAY is occurring.

• Frequency Management:

  • If a MAYDAY crew inadvertently communicates on an unassigned Talkgroup, Dispatch will notify Command of this.

  • The dispatcher will remain on that alternate Talkgroup with the MAYDAY crew to ensure continuous communication.

• Emergency Button Monitoring: Dispatch must immediately alert Command of any Radio Emergency Button activation from any unit on the scene.

• Information Transfer: Dispatch will provide the IC with all pertinent radio designation information regarding the unit that activated the emergency button.