1. February Monthly Training May Day & Emergency Communications
Division 201
February Monthly Training
May Day & Emergency Communications

2. May Day & Emerg. Comms One of six MABAS 201 Wide SOGS Others are:
Incident Management System
Fireground Evacuation
Accountability
EMS Plans
FAST & On-Deck

3. Emergency Traffic
When a critical operation is identified and/or command strategy is adjusted (for example, a civilian fire victim is located in a fire building, a transition from an offensive strategy to a defensive strategy, etc…) any person(s) on the scene shall utilize the term “EMERGENCY TRAFFIC”.
The term "EMERGENCY TRAFFIC" shall be utilized by any unit encountering an immediately perilous situation and will receive the highest communications priority. Units may initiate Emergency Traffic by verbally contacting Command or Dispatch.
Example:
"Command from Emergency Traffic."
Command will immediately respond “241 go”.
241 would then give their message “Command, the basements steps are unusable due to fire exposure”.

4. Emergency Traffic Examples
Downed Powerlines
Change of Strategy
Abandon the Building – Get Out Now LEAVE Immediately
Evacuate the Building – Get Out but Back Out Hose Lines, etc
MayDay/Down Firefighter
Discovery of victim
ANYTHING FIREFIGHTER SAFETY RELATED

5. ALERT TONE
Anytime an Incident Commander would like to transmit critical information, the IC may contact County Fire to request the Alert Tone. Immediately following this request:
Dispatch will deploy a 3 second “tone”
Following the tone, the RADIO FREQUENCY ABSOLUTELY BELONGS TO ANY UNIT REQUESTING THE ALERT TONE.

6. Example of Alert Tone "Command from 241 - Emergency Traffic.”
Command will immediately respond “241 go”.
241 would then give their message “Command, the basements steps are unusable due to fire exposure. We are exiting the building”.
Command would request the Alert Tone “County Fire from Main Street Command, give me the Alert Tone”.
Dispatch would deploy a three (3) second Alert Tone
Command would relay the message to all units “Main Street Command to all units – this is now a defensive fire. All units are to exit the building immediately”.

7. MayDay
Personnel who are in need of immediate assistance at an emergency scene, or are reporting a lost or trapped firefighter, shall announce the term “May-Day” over the radio system.
Any report of “May-Day” will receive priority radio traffic. The term “May-Day” will be reserved ONLY to report missing or trapped firefighters.

8. When to Call the MayDay
A “May-Day” SHALL be used in the following situations, but is not limited to these situations
If a firefighter becomes trapped or pinned
If a firefighter falls through a roof or floor
If a firefighter is caught in a Flashover
Zero Visibility – With no hose line/search rope and/or direction out unknown
Primary exit blocked and not at a second exit in 30 seconds
Low Air Alarm – Not at an exit in 30 seconds
Cannot find door or window to exit
Wire Entanglement

9. L-U-N-A-R
When a downed firefighter realizes he has a problem he or she is to use the LUNAR method to call the MAYDAY.
L- Location in building
U- Unit Number
N- Name
A- Actions/Air
R- Resources needed to rescue

10. L-U-N-A-R Example "Command from 241 – MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY."
Command will immediately respond “241 go ahead with your MAYDAY”.
241 would then give their message “Command from 241, this is FF Smith on Engine 241, I am on the 2nd floor C-side, I was doing a search and lost my team, I have 2200 psi left for air.
Command will immediately respond: “Command copy, FF Smith on Engine 241 is separated from your team, you’re on the 2nd floor C-side, and you have 2200 psi left for air.
Command would request the Alert Tone “County Fire from Main Street Command, give me the Alert Tone”.
Dispatch would deploy a three (3) second Alert Tone
Command would relay the message to all units “Main Street Command to all units – FF Smith on Engine 241 is separated from his team, he’s on the 2nd floor C-side, and has 2200 psi left for air.
Command would then develop their rescue plan (i.e., deploy the On-Deck Crew, FAST Team, etc..)

11. Command Responsibilities
Command and Division Officers should attempt to maintain an awareness of the location of firefighters on the fireground, primarily through assignments and the accountability system.
In the event that a firefighter initiates a “May-Day” situation, or anytime a firefighter is missing, the Incident Commander shall acknowledge the “May-Day”, and implement a rescue plan.
In many situations, resources on-scene may already be committed to firefighting operations. Therefore, Command shall immediately request additional resources.

12. It’s Your Turn – Transmit Emergency Traffic & Alert Tone for the following situations

15. Drill Supporting Documents
MABAS 201 MayDay Command Worksheet
MayDay – L-U-N-A-R JPR
Audio File containing samples of:
Emergency Traffic
Alert Tone
L-U-N-A-R

16. Questions or Suggestions
Consult MABAS MayDay & Emergency Communications SOG
Consult your Fire Chief or Training Officer
MABAS 201 Chair
Operations Chief Timm Schabbel –
MABAS 201 Training Chair
Division Chief Brian Kazmierzak –