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Post Office Fire
I'm tryin to help out a buddy of mine with a question. Do you need written permission to enter and extingush a fire in a post office or federal building?
There was considerable discussion on this with the belief that a fire department needs to have a signed letter on file allowing them to enter a post office or federal building to extigush a fire. It is my understanding that if its on fire and in my district, i get to put it out.
I understand that in DC the secret service decides if DCFD can come in the white house if there was a fire.
"yes i said DCFD, come and get me ellerbee"
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Aric Stewart on
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Russ everything I have looked up says that there is no such thing as an agreement for putting a fire out in a post office. If the fire is in your fire district you go and put it out. That is how I look at it.
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Permalink Reply by Derek J Sinesi on
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In our county we have post office buildings with apartments above them. It is our duty to first try to protect and salvage all mail. Then worry about apartments later. Other then to make sure everyone is out of the building because life comes first.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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It depends. Post offices are federal property, and technically Postal Service officials can deny entry to local responders. That said, it is very unlikely that they will do so if they need help for a fire, EMS call, or other emergency. Usually they'll invite you in with open arms.
There are some special rules for Post Office fires - or even a nuisance fire in a front-yard mailbox, though. One of them is that you should extinguish the fire, but choose extinguishment methods that minimize damage to the mail. Class A foam is good for that.
Natural ventilation is a good choice since there is less risk of moving damaged mail around than with mechanical or hydraulic ventilation.
Salvage and Overhaul - before you move a bunch of stuff around, get the Postmaster or an area Postal Inspector on scene, have them confer with the IC, and develop a strategy that completes overhaul while protecting all of the mail - damaged and undamaged, and that preserves evidence if there is any chance that the fire was intentionally set. The Postmaster may or may not allow the local investigators to investigate the cause - they have the legal right to restrict the investigation to Postal Inspectors and ATF agents.
If the Post Office is unattended (nights, Sundays) and on fire, force entry, extinguish the fire, and have Dispatch call the Postmaster early in the incident.
As with any other specialized facility, get a written agreement with the Postmasters in your area if you can, and have them list their considerations for your Postal Fires SOGs.
Then there are those pesky fires and wrecks in the mail delivery vehicles...added complications there, but also less chance of being denied entry.
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Permalink Reply by Sarah Tinsley MacKenzie on
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if its on fire i would just put it out you wont have time to look at there stuff you will be busy putting it out
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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Everything above pretty much covers it. We had the reverse of this where someone literally went postal, killing people with a gun and ALL the people working at the large distribution facility ran out of the building, across the street and into our fire station seeking refuge and safe haven. When people are scared, they will always seek something safe. Can't ever see anyone from the USPS denying anything when we are always there when they need us. We make people feel safe. These laws were written for legal reasons for the option of retaining control of a scene where something makes it a sensitive or secretive operation. Very rare.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Fey on
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I would meet with your postmaster for the simply fact the postal service is very different in what they can do. Call and set up a meeting
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