# Checklist - Emergency Operations Safety > Fire Service Safety Management System, version 0.3.3 (2026-10-25). The Human Factor. Document FSSMS-AUD-P07. > > Canonical: https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety > > Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 with the Adopting Agency Grant (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) > > General information only, not legal, medical or other professional advice. Verify every requirement against the current official text of the law, standards and manufacturer instructions that apply to you. Obtain your own legal review and consult your joint health and safety committee before adopting anything. You adopt, adapt, implement and rely on this material entirely at your own risk and on your own responsibility. Full terms: Terms of Use, thehumanfactor.ca. ## Scope Category 12 of [02 Audit Checklist Master Index](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/audit-checklist-master-index) (Emergency Operations and Incident Scene Safety). It audits [Emergency Operations Safety Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/emergency-operations-safety-program) (FSSMS-PRG-07) and [Policy - Emergency Operations Safety](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/policy-emergency-operations-safety) (FSSMS-POL-06): risk management at incidents; the incident management system; personnel accountability; two-in/two-out, rapid intervention and mayday; incident safety officer deployment; air management; crew integrity and communications; structural firefighting controls (size-up, building reading, fire dynamics, thermal imaging, collapse and evacuation); roadway operations and driving (the operational items, with the apparatus inspection regime in category 18); effective response force and critical tasks; and post-incident analysis. It is run annually by the internal audit under [01 Audit Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/audit-program) with the Fire Suppression and Emergency Operations program manager, the HSO and the JOHSC consultant present, and every three years by an independent reviewer. The auditor samples the last ten working fires (or every working fire where there were fewer) and attends one drill under command. ## Criteria The criteria are drawn from the emergency operations, incident safety officer, incident management and accountability provisions of the responder health and safety standard [(NFPA 1550, 2024, ch. 5, ch. 10 and ch. 17 to 21)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1550), the fire service training standard, which now holds the former rapid intervention, thermal imager and respiratory protection training standards [(NFPA 1400, 2026)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1400), the structural firefighting guide [(NFPA 1700, 2021)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1700), the health and wellness standard for rehabilitation [(NFPA 1580, 2025)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1580), the OHS rules of the department’s province or territory on firefighting with SCBA, protective equipment and fit testing ([J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j12-fire-service-ohs-rules-and-fireground-operations); [J13 Firefighter PPE and Protective Equipment](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j13-firefighter-ppe-and-protective-equipment); [J14 Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j14-respiratory-protection-fit-testing-and-breathing-air)), and the accreditation criteria for a standardized incident command system, risk management in emergency operations, ISO deployment, accountability and critical task analysis [(CPSE, 2019, criteria CC 2C.4, CC 5E.2, 5E.3, 11A.8, 11A.11, 11A.12)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-cpse-2019). The audit scores what is done at incidents and whether it works, not only what is written. ## Scoring **0** not in place; **1** documented, not implemented; **2** implemented, not verified effective; **3** implemented and effective with evidence. The category score is the mean of the items scored; items marked not applicable (a module switched off) are excluded. Score 3 only when the “3 looks like” description is met with evidence the auditor has seen; score 2 when the practice is observed but the verification evidence is missing; score 1 when only the document exists. ## Checklist | \# | Item (criterion) | Stage | Evidence expected | 3 looks like | Score (0-3) | Finding | Owner | Due | |:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---| | **A. Governance and risk management at incidents** | | | | | | | | | | 1 | The program and policy are approved, consulted on with the JOHSC, and reviewed within the policy’s cycle | S1 | Signed program and policy; revision log; JOHSC minutes | Current signatures; minutes show consultation on the last revision; officers can find both | | | | | | 2 | A line program manager leads a Fire Suppression and Emergency Operations team that meets the cycle in [06 Program Improvement Teams](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/program-improvement-teams) | S1 | Charter; minutes; quarterly updates; annual appraisal | Four quarterly updates and one appraisal on file; a learning-team session preceded the last procedure change | | | | | | 3 | The department’s written risk principles (risk a lot for savable lives, a little for savable property, nothing for what is lost; no interior attack in well-advanced or derelict buildings without a credible life hazard; defensive when resources cannot protect crews) are adopted and known ([NFPA 1550, 2024, ch. 10](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1550); [CPSE, 2019, criterion 11A.8](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-cpse-2019)) | S1 | Policy 5.1; tactical worksheet; ISO card | Three officers state the principles unprompted and name a recent call where they held outside | | | | | | 4 | The incident commander declares strategy on the radio after size-up and declares every change | S1 | Radio recordings; tactical worksheets for the sample | Every sampled fire has a declared strategy before entry and each change is announced | | | | | | 5 | Survivability profiling is recorded before searches are committed | S2 | Tactical worksheets; debrief cards | The sample shows a one-line reasoning for each search decision | | | | | | **B. Incident management system** | | | | | | | | | | 6 | An incident management system compatible with ICS Canada is used at every incident and one identified person holds command at all times ([NFPA 1550, 2024, ch. 10 and cl. 18.3](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1550); [CPSE, 2019, criterion CC 5E.2](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-cpse-2019)) | S1 | Radio recordings; CAD; command qualification records | Command established on the initial report at every sampled fire; no sampled fire shows the IC inside with a crew | | | | | | 7 | Command transfer follows the written procedure and is announced | S1 | Radio recordings; worksheets | Every transfer in the sample includes situation, resources and accountability status | | | | | | 8 | A command aide or accountability officer is assigned at every working fire before a second alarm | S1 | CAD; worksheets | Assignment time precedes the second alarm in every sampled fire | | | | | | 9 | Staging, divisions and groups are used as the program sets; units do not self-assign | S2 | Radio recordings; worksheets | No freelancing found in the sample; every crew in a division can name its supervisor in interview | | | | | | 10 | Mutual aid companies work within the host IMS and accountability system and the agreements say so | S1 | Agreements with safety clauses; joint drill records; PIA findings | Agreements amended; one joint accountability or mayday drill in the last 12 months; aid passports visible in the sample | | | | | | **C. Personnel accountability** | | | | | | | | | | 11 | An accountability system (tags, passports or electronic with fallback) is carried on every apparatus and current to the roster ([NFPA 1550, 2024, cl. 21.5](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1550); [CPSE, 2019, criterion 11A.12](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-cpse-2019)) | S1 | Apparatus checks; station inspection; spot check | Tags on three apparatus, including one volunteer, match today’s roster | | | | | | 12 | Entry control is staffed at every IDLH entry point and records identity, crew, assignment, location, time in and air at entry | S1 | [Form - Personnel Accountability Report Log](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-personnel-accountability-report-log) Part A for the sample | Every sampled fire has an entry log with air at entry; crews inside match the board | | | | | | 13 | PARs are called at the interval and at every event trigger, and logged | S1 | PAR logs; radio recordings | Every required PAR in the sample is logged with time and responses; no missed PARs, or each miss has a near-miss report | | | | | | 14 | A crew that cannot be raised on two calls is treated as missing and the mayday procedure starts | S1 | Procedure; drill records; PIA | Drill with a deliberately missing crew in the last 12 months at a career and a volunteer station | | | | | | 15 | Discrepancies (crews off the board, unlogged entries, stale tags) are reported as near misses and acted on | S2 | Near-miss reports; register items | At least one accountability near miss reported and closed in the last year; members know they can report one | | | | | | **D. Two-in/two-out, rapid intervention and mayday** | | | | | | | | | | 16 | No crew enters an IDLH atmosphere at a structure fire without two trained and equipped members outside, except for a seen, savable life, reported before entry [(NFPA 1550, 2024, cl. 3.3.140.1 and ch. 10)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1550) | S1 | Radio recordings; entry logs; debrief cards | No sampled entry without an IRIC except documented rescue exceptions, each reviewed | | | | | | 17 | The buddy rule is observed: no member on SCBA alone in a hazard zone; some jurisdictions also require this by regulation ([J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j12-fire-service-ohs-rules-and-fireground-operations)) | S1 | Entry logs showing crews; PIA; observation | Entry logs show crews not individuals; no single-member entries in the sample | | | | | | 18 | A dedicated RIT of at least one officer and three trained members, with no other duty, is in place at every working fire within the department’s target (default 10 minutes; some jurisdictions set a rescue-team time in regulation, [J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j12-fire-service-ohs-rules-and-fireground-operations)) ([NFPA 1550, 2024, cl. 3.3.140](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1550); [NFPA 1400, 2026](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1400)) | S1 | CAD and radio timestamps; worksheets | RIT in place within target at every sampled fire, or a “RIT not in place” report exists for each exception | | | | | | 19 | The station-type method for meeting two-in/two-out and the RIT (automatic aid, second-due, duty crew) is written and resourced from the critical task analysis [(CPSE, 2019, criterion CC 2C.4)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-cpse-2019) | S1 | Program section 15 schedule; dispatch assignments; critical task analysis | Every station type has a written method; dispatch assignments match it; the analysis is on file | | | | | | 20 | “RIT not in place” reports go to the fire chief within 24 hours, are counted quarterly and reviewed by the JOHSC | S1 | Reports; quarterly updates; JOHSC minutes | Reports on file for every exception found in the sample; the trend is reported and acted on | | | | | | 21 | RIT equipment is complete and checked weekly and after every deployment | S1 | RIT equipment checklists; inventory | Checklist for every week in the last quarter on the RIT apparatus; pack cylinder full on inspection | | | | | | 22 | When a RIT deploys, a second RIT is assigned and an additional alarm requested | S1 | Radio recordings; PIA for deployments | Every deployment in the last three years shows both actions, or the PIA records why not | | | | | | 23 | A mayday procedure exists with triggers, LUNAR, radio discipline, command actions and dispatch actions, and every mayday is analyzed [(NFPA 1550, 2024, cl. 18.3.1)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1550) | S1 | SWP; mayday records; PIA reports | Every mayday in the last three years has a PIA within 60 days with corrective actions closed | | | | | | 24 | Every operational member has completed a mayday and self-survival drill in full PPE and SCBA in the last 12 months [(NFPA 1400, 2026)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1400) | S1 | Training records by member | 100% current, including volunteers; three members state LUNAR and a trigger unprompted | | | | | | 25 | Radios with an emergency button are issued per member and tested at the start of shift; the mayday channel plan is known | S1 | Apparatus checks; interviews; radio plan | Every member in the hazard zone has a radio; three members describe the channel plan correctly | | | | | | **E. Incident safety officer** | | | | | | | | | | 26 | Written ISO assignment triggers exist and a qualified ISO is assigned at every trigger incident ([NFPA 1550, 2024, ch. 5](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1550); [CPSE, 2019, criterion 11A.11](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-cpse-2019)) | S1 | Trigger card; CAD; ISO qualification records | ISO assigned at every sampled trigger incident; the pool covers every platoon and district | | | | | | 27 | The ISO has and uses the authority to stop, alter or suspend imminently dangerous activity, and the IC is informed | S1 | ISO reports Part C; interviews | An ISO describes a recent stop; the IC describes receiving it without debate | | | | | | 28 | An ISO report is filed for every assignment within 48 hours and reviewed by the HSO | S2 | [Form - Incident Safety Officer Report](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-incident-safety-officer-report) on file | Reports for every sampled assignment; HSO review dates within a week | | | | | | 29 | Hazard control zones and collapse zones are set, announced and kept clear at defensive and collapse-risk fires [(NFPA 1550, 2024, cl. 10.7)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1550) | S1 | ISO reports; worksheets; photographs | Collapse zone basis written; every defensive fire in the sample shows zones set and no apparatus inside | | | | | | **F. Air management** | | | | | | | | | | 30 | The rule of air management is taught and practised: members know their air, and crews exit before the low-air alarm ([NFPA 1550, 2024, ch. 10](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1550); [NFPA 1400, 2026](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1400)) | S1 | Training records; entry logs with air at entry; near-miss reports | Three members name their turnaround point; no out-of-air events in the sample, or each has a PIA | | | | | | 31 | Work cycles in large or complex buildings are planned on air, and rehab is tied to cylinder use | S2 | Worksheets; rehab logs | The sample shows relief assigned on air, not on task completion | | | | | | **G. Crew integrity and communications** | | | | | | | | | | 32 | Crews enter, work and leave together under one supervisor, in contact by sight, touch or voice | S1 | Entry logs; PIA; near-miss reports; drill observation | The observed drill shows crews intact; no separation events in the sample without review | | | | | | 33 | Freelancing and separation are corrected on the spot and reviewed afterwards for what made them seem necessary, including when the outcome was good | S2 | Debrief cards; learning review summaries | Reviews describe conditions, not blame; members confirm in interview that a good outcome still gets reviewed | | | | | | 34 | Emergency traffic and the evacuation signal (radio and audible) are written, posted and drilled | S1 | Posted signal; drill records | Signal posted in every station; drilled in the last 12 months at a volunteer station; three members describe it | | | | | | 35 | Dispatch gives elapsed-time notifications, monitors maydays and strikes additional alarms as the procedures set | S1 | Dispatch procedure; joint drill record; CAD | Notifications present in the sample; one joint drill in the last 12 months | | | | | | **H. Structural firefighting controls** | | | | | | | | | | 36 | A 360-degree size-up is completed or received and reported on the radio before interior commitment | S1 | Radio recordings; worksheets | Every sampled fire shows the 360 report, or the reason it could not be done, before entry | | | | | | 37 | Members are trained annually to recognize lightweight construction and basement fires, and the rules (assume lightweight if unknown; evacuate from above and below exposed trusses; no operations above an unlocated basement fire; sounding and TIC are not proof of floor strength) are known [(NFPA 1700, 2021)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1700) | S1 | Training records; interviews | 100% current; three members state the basement and truss rules unprompted | | | | | | 38 | Attack and ventilation SOGs are grounded in the fire dynamics research (ventilation-limited fires, flow path, coordinated ventilation, water first, transitional attack, door control) and reviewed against the research annually [(NFPA 1700, 2021)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1700) | S2 | Dated SOGs with citations; review record; training records | SOGs cite the research; a dated review within 12 months; fire dynamics refresher 100% current | | | | | | 39 | A thermal imager is on every first-due company, checked daily, and users are trained to the thermal imager requirements of the training standard, including the imager’s limits [(NFPA 1400, 2026)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1400) | S1 | Inventory; apparatus checks; training records | TIC on every first-due company with a logged daily check; three users state two limits | | | | | | 40 | Vacant and abandoned buildings are registered, marked where permitted and flagged in CAD; interior operations in them are defensive without a credible life hazard | S2 | Register; placards; CAD flags; sample | Register current within 12 months; flags visible in CAD for a sample of five addresses | | | | | | 41 | A lightweight-construction register fed by permits or inspections is maintained and pushed to CAD | S2 | Register; permit feed arrangement; CAD flags | Feed arrangement in writing with the municipality; flags present for a sample | | | | | | 42 | Withdrawal triggers are written and the evacuation, PAR and no-re-entry-without-new-decision sequence is followed | S1 | SWP; PIA; drill observation | Every evacuation in the sample shows signal, PAR and a new strategy declared | | | | | | **I. Roadway operations and driving (operational items)** | | | | | | | | | | 43 | Apparatus are positioned to block at roadway incidents, members wear high-visibility apparel outside the apparatus, and advance warning is placed, as [Apparatus, Driving and Roadway Operations Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/apparatus-driving-and-roadway-operations-program) sets | S1 | ISO reports; observation; near-miss reports | Blocking and hi-vis observed at the drill or a sampled roadway incident; no struck-by near misses unreviewed | | | | | | 44 | Traffic incident management training is current for members who work on roadways [(NFPA 1091, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1091) | S2 | Training records | 100% current for roadway responders | | | | | | 45 | The stop-work rule when a roadway scene cannot be protected is known and has been used | S2 | Interviews; debrief cards | An officer describes a recent hold or repositioning for traffic | | | | | | **J. Effective response force, critical tasks and mutual aid** | | | | | | | | | | 46 | A critical task analysis for each risk class sets the first-due and effective response force, and the staffing of entry crews, IRIC and RIT is derived from it [(CPSE, 2019, criterion CC 2C.4)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-cpse-2019) | S2 | Critical task analysis; standards of cover or deployment document | Analysis on file, dated within the accreditation cycle; staffing rules in the program trace to it | | | | | | 47 | Where the effective response force is not achieved (rural daytime, aid delayed), the default strategy is defensive and the gap is reported for deployment review | S1 | Policy 5.1.3; “RIT not in place” trend; deployment review | Officers state the default; the trend by station is in the annual appraisal | | | | | | **K. Rehabilitation, post-incident analysis and learning** | | | | | | | | | | 48 | Rehab with medical monitoring is established at every working fire and trigger incident, and the ISO confirms it [(NFPA 1580, 2025)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1580) | S1 | Rehab logs; ISO reports | Rehab logged at every sampled fire; details in [Checklist - Rehabilitation](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-rehabilitation) | | | | | | 49 | Every working fire ends with a hot debrief and a post-incident safety debrief card submitted within 48 hours | S1 | Debrief cards for the sample | Cards for every sampled fire; three members describe the five questions | | | | | | 50 | Every mayday, RIT deployment, collapse or flashover close call, lost-time injury and “RIT not in place” event is triaged within one business day and analyzed to the right tier within 30 days (60 maximum) [(NFPA 1550, 2024, cl. 5.7)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-nfpa-1550) | S2 | Triage log; PIA reports; register | Every qualifying event in three years has a tier, a report and closed actions | | | | | | 51 | Findings change the SOG, the training or the equipment, and a change notice reaches every station | S2 | Change notices; SOG revision logs | The last PIA’s actions trace to a dated SOG change and a notice at a volunteer station | | | | | | **L. Accountability loop and psychological safety** | | | | | | | | | | 52 | The program’s accountability and closed feedback loop (owner, doer, verifier, feedback, closure) operates: deficiencies logged within five working days with a priority, P1 (Imminent) to P4 (Improvement), verified closed, escalated on the schedule the priority sets, reported to the JOHSC and the fire chief | S1 | [Corrective Action Register](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/corrective-action-register); quarterly updates; JOHSC minutes | No overdue item without the escalation its priority requires; the loop test in the program can be traced on a real item | | | | | | 53 | A member’s concern about operations is logged within two working days and answered within 15 days with the decision and reason, by a route every member can name | S1 | Concern log; interviews | Three members, one volunteer, name the route; the log shows every concern answered within 15 days | | | | | | 54 | Stop-work, challenge and withdrawal calls by members are counted, reviewed for learning and never followed by reprisal; near-miss and good-catch reports from incidents are acknowledged within 15 days [(Edmondson, 1999)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-edmondson-1999) | S1 | Debrief cards Part D; near-miss log; culture survey item | Calls counted in the quarterly worksheet; acknowledgement 100%; survey item on raising a concern with the officer is rising or above the department target | | | | | | 55 | Officers are trained to receive a challenge (acknowledge, act or explain, review later) and leaders tell the story of the last stop-work call and what changed | S2 | Command simulation content; station visit notes; bulletins | Simulation includes a challenge; a bulletin or briefing in the last year recognized a hold-outside or stop-work call | | | | | | 56 | The learning firewall is applied: debriefs, learning teams and PIAs are not used for discipline, and conduct concerns go to a separate process run by different people | S1 | Policy; learning review records; interviews | No learning record in a personnel file; members and officers describe the separation correctly | | | | | ## Effectiveness questions (observation or interview only) 1. **Ask three members on different platoons, one a volunteer, separately:** “Tell me about the last time you or someone on your crew said stop, hold, or get out at a fire. What was said, what did the officer do, and what happened afterwards?” The program is working when each can describe a real recent call, the officer acknowledged and acted or explained, and the call was talked about afterwards without anyone being blamed. It is not working when nobody can think of one, which means the calls are not being made or not being heard, not that there is nothing to call. 2. **Watch a drill under command, or review the radio recording of the last working fire if no drill falls in the audit window:** at the moment the first crew went through the door, who was outside ready to go in for them, what else were they doing, when was the ISO assigned, and when was the first PAR? The program is working when the answers come from the recording and the board, not from memory, and match the procedure. 3. **Ask an incident commander:** “Show me the last concern a member raised about how we operate, what the department decided, and what the member was told.” Then ask the member who raised it the same question. The program is working when both accounts match and the member heard back within 15 days. ## Category score | Section | Items | Mean score | Lowest item | Notes | |:---|:---|:---|:---|:---| | A. Governance and risk management at incidents | 1 to 5 | | | | | B. Incident management system | 6 to 10 | | | | | C. Personnel accountability | 11 to 15 | | | | | D. Two-in/two-out, rapid intervention and mayday | 16 to 25 | | | | | E. Incident safety officer | 26 to 29 | | | | | F. Air management | 30 to 31 | | | | | G. Crew integrity and communications | 32 to 35 | | | | | H. Structural firefighting controls | 36 to 42 | | | | | I. Roadway operations and driving | 43 to 45 | | | | | J. Effective response force, critical tasks and mutual aid | 46 to 47 | | | | | K. Rehabilitation, post-incident analysis and learning | 48 to 51 | | | | | L. Accountability loop and psychological safety | 52 to 56 | | | | | **Category mean** | | | | Report by section, never as one number ([02 Audit Checklist Master Index](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/audit-checklist-master-index)) | Findings go to the [Corrective Action Register](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/corrective-action-register) with the owner and due date from the table; the program manager owns them until verified closed. The audit report goes to the fire chief, the Fire Suppression and Emergency Operations team and the JOHSC. > **Information: Delivery note Run items 18, 24, 36 and 53 first; they are quick to check from CAD, training records and the concern log and they expose the real state of the program. Score items 11, 24, 34 and 53 from a volunteer station as well as a career one. Where the department holds accreditation, map the findings to CC 2C.4, CC 5E.2, 5E.3, 11A.8, 11A.11 and 11A.12 in the audit report [(CPSE, 2019)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-emergency-operations-safety#ref-cpse-2019).** ## Jurisdiction requirements This chapter relies on the following legal requirements, which differ by province and territory. Check your jurisdiction’s section on each topic page before adopting it. | Topic | What to check in your jurisdiction | Page | |:---|:---|:---| | OHS Policy and Program | Whether a written OHS program is required and which elements it must contain, such as written work procedures and incident investigation, that this category’s program and policy supply (items 1, 50) | [J03 OHS Policy and Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j03-ohs-policy-and-program) | | Written Procedures and Committee Consultation | When written safe work procedures are required, how they must be kept adequate, available and reviewed with workers, and whether the committee must be consulted on them (items 1, 38, 42) | [J06 Written Procedures and Committee Consultation](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j06-written-procedures-and-committee-consultation) | | Incident Reporting and Investigation | The employer’s duty to investigate incidents, who takes part and any deadline for the report, which the post-incident analysis timelines must meet (items 23, 50) | [J08 Incident Reporting and Investigation](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j08-incident-reporting-and-investigation) | | Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations | Any statutory buddy, two-in/two-out or rapid intervention rule for interior firefighting with SCBA, and what the law says on command, accountability and mayday; where the law is silent, the adopted standard is the benchmark (items 16 to 18) | [J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j12-fire-service-ohs-rules-and-fireground-operations) | | Firefighter PPE and Protective Equipment | The SCBA, PASS and protective ensemble standards a regulation names for structural firefighting (items 25, 30) | [J13 Firefighter PPE and Protective Equipment](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j13-firefighter-ppe-and-protective-equipment) | | Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air | How often SCBA users must be fit tested and whether the test must be quantitative, for every member who enters a hazard zone (items 16, 24) | [J14 Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j14-respiratory-protection-fit-testing-and-breathing-air) | ## References Center for Public Safety Excellence \[CPSE\]. (2019). *Fire and emergency service self-assessment manual* (10th ed.). Commission on Fire Accreditation International. Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. *Administrative Science Quarterly, 44*(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999 National Fire Protection Association. (2021). *NFPA 1700, Guide for structural fire fighting*. National Fire Protection Association. (2024). *NFPA 1091, Standard for traffic incident management personnel professional qualifications*. National Fire Protection Association. (2024). *NFPA 1550, Standard for emergency responder health and safety* (consolidates NFPA 1500, 1521 and 1561). National Fire Protection Association. (2025). *NFPA 1580, Standard for emergency responder occupational health and wellness* (consolidates NFPA 1581, 1582, 1583 and 1584). National Fire Protection Association. (2026). *NFPA 1400, Standard on fire service training* (consolidates NFPA 1402, 1403, 1404, 1407, 1408, 1410 and 1451).