Fire Investigator Dispatch Policy 2

							                                ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY
                        OFFICE of EMERGENCY SERVICES
                                     48 Court Street
                              Canton, New York 13617-1169
                           (315) 379-2240 - Fax (315) 379-0681
                                 oes@co.st-lawrence.ny.us

FIRE                                        E-911                                 EMERGENCY
E.M.S.                                                                            MANAGEMENT



14 August 2012

To:
Dispatch Supervisors
St. Lawrence County Fire Investigators
County Fire Chiefs
St. Lawrence County Fire Advisory Board

Re: Auto-Dispatching County Fire Investigators

All Concerned:

The policy of auto-dispatching St. Lawrence County Fire Investigators to working fires is
being rescinded. St. Lawrence County Fire Investigators will no longer be auto-
dispatched to working fires without a specific request by the incident commander / fire
chief on scene.

In accordance with NY State Law section 204-d “Duties of the fire chief” states:

         The fire chief of any fire department or company shall, in addition to any other
         duties assigned to him by law or contract, to the extent reasonably possible
         determine or cause to be determined the cause of each fire or explosion which
         the fire department or company has been called to suppress. He shall file with
         the office of fire prevention and control a report containing such determination
         and any additional information required by such office regarding the fire or
         explosion.
         He shall contact or cause to be contacted the appropriate investigatory authority
         if he has reason to believe the fire or explosion is of incendiary or suspicious
         origin.

The law, as stated above and the fact that the fire chief / incident commander is
responsible for everything that happens and everyone on the fire scene, it is the
responsibility and the authority of the fire chief to determine if the St. Lawrence County
Fire Investigators are needed. The fire chief / incident commander will request the fire
investigators to be dispatched by the St. Lawrence County Central Dispatch.

However, once requested, the fire chief has the responsibility to remain on the scene
himself, or delegate and designate personnel to remain on the scene until the fire
investigators arrive to assist the fire investigators and assist with the fire investigation
                                ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY
                       OFFICE of EMERGENCY SERVICES
                                     48 Court Street
                              Canton, New York 13617-1169
                           (315) 379-2240 - Fax (315) 379-0681
                                oes@co.st-lawrence.ny.us

FIRE                                       E-911                                 EMERGENCY
E.M.S.                                                                           MANAGEMENT

until such time as either the fire investigators are finished with their investigation or the
fire department personnel are no longer needed by the fire investigators.

Point of contact for this policy is the undersigned at 315-379-2240 or
jgilbert@stlawco.org.

Sincerely,



Joseph M. Gilbert,
Director