FIRE SUPPRESSION B-175. FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FIRE SUPPRESSION PREPLANNING NO: B-175
FILE: FIRE SUPPRESSION
EFFECTIVE DATE: 12-25-94 REVISED: 06-04-95, 04-01-96, 09-01-96, 11-01-97,
11-01-99, 01-01-00, 08-06-14, 03-15-17,
06-22-17
AUTHORITY: Sheriff M. Mims APPROVED BY: Assistant Sheriff T. Gattie
REFERENCE: California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Sections 1029 and 1032;
California Code of Regulations, Title 19, Sections 574.1 and 575.1; Penal Code
Section 6031.1; Health and Safety Code Sections 13146.1, 13160, and 13195;
and Hall, et al. v. County of Fresno, E.D. Cal. No. 1-1 1-CV-02047-LJO-BAM
(2015).
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this policy is to provide and maintain a fire suppression preplanning
system which ensures appropriate preventative measures to prevent and/or to minimize
the incidence, size and spread of fires in the facility.
POLICY:
It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office Jail Division to provide all
employees with the knowledge of fire and safety practices in order to prevent the
occurrences of a fire. All employees will have access to equipment and plans for fire
suppression as well as familiarity with the approved procedures and routes to be used
in the event of a fire.
It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office Jail Division to designate a Fire/Life
Safety Officer to assist and cooperate with local and state fire authorities in the
application and enforcement of State laws, regulations, rules, and policies relating to fire
prevention and life safety. The Fire/Life Safety Officer is responsible to ensure upkeep
and functionality of fire/life safety equipment, and perform fire/life safety inspections of
all inmate housing areas.
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FIRE SUPPRESSION PREPLANNING NO: B-175
FILE: FIRE SUPPRESSION
PROCEDURES:
I. INSPECTIONS
A. State Fire Marshal inspections shall be performed at least once every
two years, as per H&S 13146.1.
B. A fire prevention inspection of all facility housing units shall be
conducted once each month by the Fire/Life Safety Officer.
1. The inspection shall be documented using the Fire/Life Safety
Inspection Report form (Addendum A).
2. Documentation and record of the inspections shall be forwarded to
the Services Sergeant and maintained for two (2) years.
C. Fire extinguishers are an indispensable tool for fighting fires and
need to be inspected regularly to ensure they will operate effectively, if
needed.
1. The fire extinguishers shall be manually inspected at least monthly
to ensure they are in good working order. The pressure gauge shall
be checked to make sure that the unit is fully charged (i.e., the
needle should be in the green zone) and the pin and tamper seal
(located at the top of the unit) are intact. The date and initials of the
person performing the inspection shall be recorded on the tag
attached to the fire extinguisher. The Fire/Life Safety Officer shall
ensure that the inspection has occurred during the monthly fire
prevention inspection.
2. Fire extinguishers shall be subjected to maintenance annually, or
immediately after use by a contracted service provider in
accordance with California Code of Regulations, Title 19 standards.
D. The Fire Escape Hoods shall be inspected by the Fire/Life Safety
Officer in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation (every
four years, not to exceed ten years).
E. The fire sprinkler systems are inspected as per National Fire
Protection Association standards.
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FIRE SUPPRESSION PREPLANNING NO: B-175
FILE: FIRE SUPPRESSION
1. The flow switches, tamper switches and supervisory alarms on the
sprinkler system shall be inspected by the contracted security
systems service provider on a bi-annual basis.
2. The exposed fire sprinklers shall be inspected quarterly by
appropriately qualified maintenance personnel.
3. The main drain, valves, and dry standpipes are inspected and
tested by a contracted fire sprinkler inspector on an annual basis.
F. The smoke detector systems shall be inspected by the contracted
security systems service provider on an annual basis, as per National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.
G. Each officer should check their assigned flashlight on a monthly basis
to ensure that the flashlight emits a strong beam of light when turned
on. (The battery should be recharged when indicated, however, care
should be taken not to reduce the life of the battery by repeatedly
recharging a partially discharged battery.)
H. The floor officers shall ensure that emergency exit routes remain free
of obstacles.
II. SUPPRESSION PREPLANNING
A. Fire can start for many reasons and is often a side effect of other
disasters. It is important that each officer be oriented with the
firefighting equipment available on their respective floors and to know
the proper exits to use in each designated area.
B. Mock fire drills shall be conducted at least twice a year to ensure that
all staff members are familiar with safety procedures and evacuation
methods.
1. Health Services staff shall participate in one of the fire drills at least
once each year.
2. Additional evacuation procedures shall be conducted on each shift,
by shift supervisors on an as-needed basis.
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FIRE SUPPRESSION PREPLANNING NO: B-175
FILE: FIRE SUPPRESSION
C. Fire exit plans shall be posted and clearly labeled. The floor plans
indicate emergency fire escape routes, as well as the location of
emergency equipment.
D. In compliance with this section, refer also to the following Jail Division
policies and procedures:
1. B-160 Panic, Smoke, and Fire Alarm Response [FILE: ALARMS]
2. B-170 Emergency Medical and Fire Department Requests and
Responses [FILE: FIRE-EMS]
3. B-180 Evacuation Planning [FILE: EVACUATE]
4. C-170 Contraband [FILE: CONTRABAND]
5. E-410Inmate Orientation Handbook [FILE: HANDBOOK] re:
Housing Areas and excessive materials
6. F-110 Cleanliness and Security Inspections [FILE: INSPECTIONS]
7. F-120 Smoking and Smoking Materials [FILE: SMOKING]
III. FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
A. Fire extinguishers are available throughout the facilities to extinguish or
control small fires. They are not intended for use on fires that
endanger the user (i.e., no escape route; smoke; explosion hazard;
large, out-of-control, or spreading fire, etc.).
B. Fire extinguishers are designed to fight one or more classes of fire.
There are five classes of fire-
1. CLASS A fires involve ordinary combustible materials such as
wood, paper, cloth or plastics. Class A fires are most commonly
extinguished by water.
2. CLASS B fires involve flammable and combustible liquids and
gases such as gasoline, kerosene, grease, oil, lacquer, paint and
alcohol. Class B fires are more difficult to fight. Flammable liquids
generally burn much hotter than ordinary combustible materials.
Class B extinguishers generally contain a powder or gas.
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FIRE SUPPRESSION PREPLANNING NO: B-175
FILE: FIRE SUPPRESSION
3. CLASS C fires involve energized electrical equipment, such as
wiring, fuse boxes, circuit breakers, data processing panels and
appliances. An extinguisher designed for Class C fires must
contain an agent which does not conduct electricity. Carbon dioxide
gas, special powders or halogenated liquids are used on this type
of fire.
4. CLASS D fires involve combustible metals such as magnesium,
sodium. The extinguishment of Class D fires generally requires a
specialized agent such as graphite or sodium chloride. There is no
need for Class D extinguishers in the Jail facilities.
5. CLASS K fires involve cooking oils or fats found in kitchen fires.
Most extinguishers in the Jail facilities can be used on all classes of
fire, A, B, and C. A complete list of fire extinguisher locations is
provided in Addendum B.
C. There are four basic steps to using a fire extinguisher, which can be
remembered by following the P-A-S-S procedure:
1. P — PULL the pin located in the extinguisher's handle.
2. A—AIM the nozzle or hose at the base of the fire.
3. S — SQUEEZE the lever slowly and evenly.
4. S — SWEEP the nozzle from side-to-side at the base of the fire.
IV. FIRE ESCAPE HOOD
A. Fire Escape Hoods are available for officer use in all security stations.
Each hood is protected and stored in a vacuum-sealed aluminized foil
bag inside a cardboard box. The hood must be stored in its original,
unopened bag until needed for escape.
B. The hoods are designed to provide respiratory protection during
escape for up to fifteen (15) minutes. They are not designed or
approved for entry into a contaminated area.
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FIRE SUPPRESSION PREPLANNING NO: B-175
FILE: FIRE SUPPRESSION
V. FIRE HOSES AND (INTERIOR) DRY STANDPIPES
A standpipe is an external access point at ground level through which
water can be pumped from the Fire Department's fire engine pump to the
firefighters' hose attachments on each floor. Dry standpipes are not filled
with water until needed for firefighting.
FIRE HOSE DRY STANDPIPE
Located in all three stairwells
Located beneath each on each floor. The doors may
Main Jail security station(in front of the be opened by Central Control
visiting hallway). [XX key] or with the emergency XX key.
Located beneath each Located in all three stairwells
North Annex Jail security station(in front of the on each floor.
visiting hallway). [XX key] [XX key]
Basement In the Laundry room,on the
backside of the office.
There are two fire hoses
located in the stairwell at the Inside the East stairwell at the
1 st Floor end of the F&G hallway. back of the F/G cells.
[XX key] [XX key]
In the`M' Street vestibule.
Inside the East stairwell at the
There are two fire hoses back of the F/G cells.
2"d Floor located in the stairwell at the [XX key]
end of the F&G hallway.
[XX key] Located outside on the South
fire escape. [XX key]
There are two fire hoses Inside the East stairwell at the
South located in the stairwell at the
Annex Jail end of the F&G hallway. back of the F/G cells.
[ [XX key]
XX key]
There is one hose in every
311 Floor security corridor(i.e.,
"catwalk")surrounding each Located outside on the South
pod. In 3A and 3B,on the fire escape.
side closest to the security [XX key]
station;and in 3C and 3D on
the side furthest from the
security station. [XX key]
In the catwalks between 4E The dry standpipes are located
and 4F; between 4D and 4E; outside on the South fire
4th Floor at the far end of 4C by the
exit door;and the far end of escape.
4A by the yard. [XX key] [XX key]
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FIRE SUPPRESSION PREPLANNING NO: B-175
FILE: FIRE SUPPRESSION
VI. FIRE ALARM MANUAL PULLS
A. The Jail facilities have a fire alarm system which is designed to provide
automatic notification of the presence of fire (by detecting heat or
smoke) in the building. When a detector is activated, its location is
shown on the fire indicator panel in Central Control, and the fire bell
commences to ring continuously until it is reset.
B. The fire alarm system can be manually activated by pulling the handle
down on a wall-mounted fire alarm pull station. The fire alarm manual
pulls may be found throughout all stairwells and in the following
locations:
FIRE ALARM MANUAL PULLS
Basement On the wall next to the security station.
• There are two manual pulls in the Lobby; one on the back wall
behind the Lobby Officer,and one next to the pay phones.
1It Floor • On the wall next to the Booking security station door.
• One at the 1It floor security station.
• Two in the Records hallway; one next to the Fingerprint door, and
one on the wall next to the restrooms.
Main
Jail • There is one fire alarm manual pull in the Administrative hallway.
• One in the Briefing hallway.
2"d Floor . One in the vestibule of the Southwest stairwell.
• One on the wall next to the security station.
• One in the medical office(near the Al and B1 cells).
• There is one fire alarm manual pull in each security station.
Floors 3-6 . One on each security control panel.
• One located at the foot of the security station stairs.
Basement Located in the vestibule to the court access door.
North
Annex 1It Floor There is one next to each entrance door.
Jail • One located in the security station.
Floors 2-5 * One in the gym security station.
• In the tunnel, next to the elevators leading to medical records/Mental
Tunnel Health offices(old kitchen area).
• On the wall behind the Tunnel security station (Inmate Supplies
Coordinator's Office).
South • On the wall behind the Court Holding security station.
Annex • In the Inmate Programs Room (inside the old cafeteria security
Basement station).
Jail . In the Laundry Room on the wall next to the bulk storage cellar and
in the bathroom vestibule by the rear entrance door.
1It Floor Inside the Attorney Lobby and `M' Street security stations.
Floors 2-4 There is one fire alarm manual pull located in each security station.
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FIRE SUPPRESSION PREPLANNING NO: B-175
FILE: FIRE SUPPRESSION
VI I. SMOKE EJECTORS AND FLEXIBLE TUBING
A. The smoke ejectors and extension cords are stored in the Storeroom
(XX key) next to the South Annex Jail 2nd floor Inmate Programs Room
(previously, the Law Library) and inside the North and Main Jail Central
Control security stations. The South Annex also has hooks from which
to hang the ejectors from the bars (if needed).
B. The flexible tubes and the square adapters (both are bright yellow) are
stored alongside the smoke ejectors and can be attached to the
ejectors to help direct the smoke. Each facility has a 20' tube (the
South Annex has an additional 10' tube) and the tubes are assembled
as follows-
1. Attach the square yellow adaptor to the front of the smoke ejector.
Hook the upper edge (the end opposite the springs) over the top of
the fan. Fasten the lower edge of the adapter by hooking the two
springs to the lower sides of the fan.
2. Work the tubing over the rim of the adapter until approximately 4" of
the rim is inside the tubing. Wrap the strap around the duct-covered
rim, centering it so that it lies on the grooved strip and pull tight.
3. The tube can be lengthened by attaching two pieces of tubing
together with an 8" yellow sleeve. Place a sleeve over the end of
the tubing and cinch it tightly. Connect the tubes by placing the
sleeve over the end of the second tube and cinching it tight.
Vill. SMOKE CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS
A. There are seven (7) Smoke Guard smoke containment screens (i.e.,
"smoke curtains") located in the North Annex Jail. The smoke curtains
are hidden in a roll directly above the elevator doors (three are in the
basement elevator vestibules (#1 — 3), and one above each visiting
elevator on the housing floors).
1. The smoke curtains are designed to protect elevator openings and
shaft from vertical smoke migration. The system will deploy when
the smoke detector in front of the elevator opening goes into alarm.
The screen consists of a reinforced, transparent polyimide film.
The film edge is connected to flexible magnetic strips which
magnetize to the door frame, creating an air-tight seal.
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FIRE SUPPRESSION PREPLANNING NO: B-175
FILE: FIRE SUPPRESSION
2. If an elevator occupant were to encounter a deployed screen, a
button in the center of the film can be pressed to rewind the screen
temporarily and allow for passage. If the smoke detector is still in
alarm, the screen will redeploy.
3. If someone walks through a deployed screen, do NOT rewind the
screen until the flexible magnetic strips have been realigned to a
vertically plumb orientation. Gently pull both magnets apart to work
the excess film out of the center and allow the magnets to reattach
to the rails. The magnets should cover the rails evenly.
4. When the smoke detector is no longer in alarm mode, press the
rewind switch button (located high on the wall). When the screen is
rewound completely, close the housing door.
B. There are four (4) polyethylene tarps and eight (8) bungee cords in
each of the following South Annex Jail locations: the 4B catwalk, the
3B catwalk, and the 2nd floor Storeroom (next to the Inmate Programs
Room). The tarps may be used to cover open doorways, hallways,
and/or cells to help direct smoke out of the area and/or prevent smoke
from infiltrating the housing units.
IX. IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE
If an officer notices smoke and/or fire, they shall perform the following
actions:
A. Sound an alarm; pull the fire alarm station.
B. Notify Central Control.
1. Officers shall contact their facility Central Control who will call 911
and direct the necessary personnel, the Fresno Fire Department
and/or any other support service agencies.
2. North Annex Jail and South Annex Jail Central Control officers shall
contact Main Jail Central Control and notify them of the Fire
Department's response and coordinate additional staff request
through them.
C. If small enough, attempt to extinguish the fire with portable fire
extinguishers.
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FIRE SUPPRESSION PREPLANNING NO: B-175
FILE: FIRE SUPPRESSION
D. If necessary, extinguish or suppress fire in the area of an evacuation
route.
E. If possible, attempt to prevent and/or curtail the spread of fire.
F. Direct all nonessential personnel and visitors on the affected floor to
leave the floor immediately.
G. If an inmate evacuation is ordered, follow the established policies and
procedures for each floor and/or as instructed by the Incident
Commander.
1. Whenever feasible, the most affected portion of the facility will be
evacuated first.
2. Inmates in the area to be evacuated will be notified via intercom or
verbally of the pending evacuation.
3. Evacuation will be directed to the designated stairways from the
floor on which the emergency situation occurred, preferably to the
floor immediately below.
4. Only persons on floors directed to evacuate, or those in personal
danger, should evacuate. Unnecessary evacuation could crowd
corridors and stairs, thus preventing emergency crews from
reaching the site of emergency.
X. GENERAL RULES AND GUIDELINES DURING FIRE EMERGENCIES
A. During emergencies, the elevator cars may not be available and
should not be relied upon as a means of transportation.
1. If the smoke detectors connected to the elevators are activated, the
elevators will automatically return and remain at the ground floor
level for the use of the Fire Department and/or Central Control.
2. There is also the danger of an elevator stopping and opening at a
floor which is on fire and the resulting draft could engulf the elevator
car in fire.
B. Stay off of the roof.
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FIRE SUPPRESSION PREPLANNING NO: B-175
FILE: FIRE SUPPRESSION
C. Close the door after an area has been evacuated. It will slow the
spread of the fire.
D. Listen for emergency announcements.
E. Keep low when traveling through smoke. The air will be cooler.
F. Respond quickly and calmly if an evacuation is required. Do not go
back for personal items.
G. Help others who may need assistance.
H. Be familiar with the location of the designated stairway escapes. Keep
to the right side of the stairs and use the handrail. Proceed in an
orderly manner.
I. Before opening any door, touch it with the back of a hand to see if it is
hot. A fire on the other side can blast through the slightest opening
with tremendous force.
J. Don't break windows to vent smoke. Falling glass is a serious threat to
pedestrians, staff, support service agencies and firefighting personnel
below.
K. Remain calm and don't panic.
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