PURPOSE OF ORDER:
This order establishes policy and procedures for a Fire Camp Training Unit roll out team responding to significant incidents at CDCR/LA County Fire Department fire camps.
SCOPE OF ORDER:
This order applies to all personnel assigned to the Fire Camp Training Unit.
ORDER:
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department entered into an agreement on October 23, 2013, where up to 528 Los Angeles County inmates are to be housed at the five Los Angeles County Fire Department Inmate Wildland Fire Suppression Camps, in the care and custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Given the strenuous and dangerous nature of the work performed by the inmates in the performance of fire suppression and training efforts, a plan for responding to significant incidents involving Los Angeles County inmates, specifically in-custody deaths, is required. The possibility of significant incidents occurring while Los Angeles County inmates are in the contracted custody of CDCR at one of the five LA County Fire Department Inmate Wildland Fire Suppression camps, or California Institute for Women (CIW) is inevitable.
CDCR is responsible for the investigation and will work with the LA County Coroner’s Office (or other county coroners if out of the county on a fire, or training at CIW). CDCR will notify the LASD Fire Camp operations staff, via PDC East Facility Main Control, as soon as practical. One of the LASD Fire Camp sergeants or lieutenant will be responsible for contacting CDCR and LA County Fire and gathering the initial information for a Chief’s Memo and notifications.
The LASD Fire Camp operations sergeant and or the operations lieutenant will coordinate with Custody Support Services (CSS) to respond to the location the next business day to follow up and gather detailed information to prepare a briefing for department executives, and assist CSS with their review.
LASD Fire Camp operations will be the liaison with CDCR and LA County Fire, absent a criminal homicide investigation by LASD Homicide Bureau, except where CSS and LASD MSB staff would be more appropriate.
Once the LASD Mental Health Task Force assumes incident review responsibilities for inmates’ deaths on July 1, 2015, Fire Camp operations will coordinate with their staff instead of CSS.