"A Service of the Pikes Peak Firefighters Association"

Established: April 2002

Mission Statement: To provide quality rehabilitation services along with a safe and secure resting area for all emergency response personnel throughout the Pikes Peak area for extended emergency situations. The Rehab Services is defined as: "providing for the physical and personal needs of the individuals who respond to emergency situations. This includes providing food and fluid replenishment, rest for worn out emergency personnel, medical evaluations, and emotional support." The Fire Rehab Service is structured to be a rapid or quick response service team for emergency situations considered to be long in duration - three hours or more - and the Fire Rehab Service is able to support multi-day events as well. Early notification is critical in the service team's ability to properly fulfill their mission. Travel distance and time will affect response and arrival time.

Rehab Services: Fire Rehab strives to provide the highest level of quality services possible to any fire, rescue, law enforcement, medical, wildland, and HAZMAT agencies throughout the Pikes Peak Region. NFPA Standard 1584 is the cornerstone document driving the Rehab Services. Services which are typically requested and provided include the following:

• Fluid Replenishment: The Fire Rehab Service maintains a stock supply of bottled water, Gatorade, coffee, and hot chocolate on their Response Vehicles or Units, and will "ice-up" en-route.
• Prepackaged Snacks & Food Preparation: A modest supply of prepackaged, high energy foods are also stocked ready for use in the Response Vehicles. The Units are also equipped with all the necessary equipment to prepare almost any kind of meal requested on scene. Rehab can easily provide and prepare meals for a couple of hundred people at a time, and can support a small group of responders.
• Medical Evaluation: Many of our Response Staff are EMT-B trained or higher and will assess vital signs and a responder's overall general health to assure they are not endangering themselves by returning to emergency duties. Rehab Response Units have basic medical packs, oxygen, and a RAD 57 CO Monitor.
• Safe Haven: When requested, Rehab Staff will establish a restricted perimeter for emergency response personnel to come, rest, and get away from outside distractions. During severe weather situations, Rehab will make provisions to protect response personnel from the elements.
• Communications: Rehab Response Units are equipped with cell phones and some minimal radio equipment which are available for use as needed. Rehab can also establish a central point of information for both responders and the general public. Rehab is not a communications/command unit.

In addition to the noted services provided for emergency situations, Rehab is also available to support special training situations, public relation events, stand-by's, fire department open house events, and most any other event on a pre-scheduled basis.

Dispatch Information: Fire Rehab can be requested and dispatched by Alpha Page by contacting the El Paso County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center. Basic information needed when requesting Fire Rehab includes location as to where to report, requesting agency, type of situation, approximate number of people to be served, and when available, whether a prepared meal is to be anticipated or not. Sometimes this information is not always immediately known. Fire Rehab would rather have an early notification, response, and deal with details once their presence has been established than to cause a delay in providing critical services.

Response Policies: The Pikes Peak Firefighters Association has established the following response and staffing policies:

1. Rehab will only respond to emergency situations when requested by the command structure or primary agency. The Sheriff's Office may "prompt" command when situations suggest Rehab may be needed.
2. Rehab Units and staff will not be allowed to respond Code 3 (lights and sirens) to any situation. All responding units and staff must obey all traffic laws and posted limits.
3. Rehab will be entirely staffed by volunteers who have expressed a desire to serve their community in this manner. All Rehab Staff must be individual members of the Association to meet insurance requirements. Supplemental help may be requested from the primary agency once on scene, or Fire Rehab may supplement an existing agency's Rehab source. All Rehab Staff have undergone an extensive background check through the El Paso County Sheriff's Office as a Partnered Volunteer Service Group.
4. Fire Rehab will operate within the established command structure of the incident and will serve at the direction of the incident commander or the designated officer. Freelancing will not be tolerated!

Financing: The Pikes Peak regional Rehab Services has addressed the ongoing need to operate in a financially responsible manner. Rehab Services receives no direct tax money for any portion of its operations or services. In an effort to make Rehab Services both available and fair to all emergency response agencies, the following sources of income have been pursued:

1. To seek community and business support, both financially and with "in kind" contributions.
2. To identify and apply for special grants from both local and regional sources.
3. To request an annual voluntary contribution of at least $75 from the PPFFA member agencies.
4. To charge responsible individuals, corporations, agencies, and insurance companies for the cost of services rendered. Effort will be made to identify these sources. In some situations, the primary response agency may specify an alternative to this funding source or may need to pursue the responsible party through department resources.

Fire Rehab does not want finances to be a deterrent to requesting services. However, services might not be available if adequate finances are not secured and handled in an equitable manner. Fire Rehab is willing to explore other avenues of funding and creative alternatives to offset expenses. The Pikes Peak Firefighters Association is a non-profit, tax exempt corporation and all contributions may be considered tax exempt.

For additional information or clarification, please contact Jim Hatfield, Fire Rehab Manager, at (719) 598-3454 or at jehatfield52@gmail.com.

James E. Hatfield

Rehab Manager
1160 Montezuma Road

Colorado Springs, Co 80920