Att-5_TONTO_FIRE_PLAN.doc

TONTO FIRE PLAN

The Contractor shall be responsible for the cost of suppressing all fires caused by his operation, and for all damage to any property of the USDA Forest Service or third parties. The USDA Forest Service reserves the right to participate in extinguishing any fires caused by the contractor’s operations and the contractor shall reimburse the USDA Forest Service for the cost of all suppression activities ordered or directed by the USDA Forest Service. The following requirements are a part of this solicitation and any resultant contract.

1. Fire Prevention - During periods of contract performance, fire requirements shall be met by the contractor.

2. Execution of Fire Plan

a. Forest Service personnel involved will, in all cases, coordinate through the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) except in cases of emergency or Forest closure.

b. The contractor shall designate a fire plan representative who shall be responsible for executing and carrying out the fire requirements.

c. The contractor shall include the fire requirements in all subcontracts.

d. The contractor shall assure that all contract employees are informed of the existence and conditions of the fire requirements.

3. Compliance Inspection

a. Inspection by the Forest Service will be made to insure compliance with the fire requirements.

b.

Should any deficiencies appear during the inspection, the contractor will be informed and the deficiencies shall be corrected within 24 hours. Activities with the potential to start fires shall be halted until the deficiencies are corrected and the corrections approved by the COR.

c. The contractor's fire plan representative shall make daily inspections to insure that the terms of the fire requirements are met at all times.

4. Fire Presuppression Requirements

a. Fire Toolbox

(1) During contract performance, the contractor shall furnish and maintain, at the contractor's expense, one fire toolbox at the campsite or some central location, as long as it is within 1/4 mile of the location where the contractor is currently performing work.

(2) The fire toolbox is to be maintained with tools in good condition in the following quantities for each five people in the contractor's work force. The equipment is for the sole purpose of firefighting. Four shovels, two axes, one Pulaski and five each 1-gallon canteens. Where needed, brushhooks and McLeod tools may be substituted for shovels or axes.

(3) The fire toolbox shall be replenished by the contractor after each incidence of fire use.

b. Work Hours - The contractor shall restrict operations in accordance with the following emergency fire precaution schedule unless the COR waives the requirement in writing.

Each day of operation when there is a predicted change in the fire precaution plan, the Forest Service will inform the contractor between 3 and 6 p.m. MST (4 and 7 p.m. MDT). Notification will be made of the alphabetical industrial fire precaution plan (Exhibit 1) to be followed the next day within the local operating area.

No later than 9 a.m. MST (10 a.m. MDT) the following day, the Forest Service will inform the contractor of any change in the fire precaution schedule.

c. Blasting - Use of caps and safety fuse detonators for blasting is not permitted during periods when fire precaution plan C or D is in effect. A fire guard shall be required in accordance with the enclosed emergency fire precaution schedule. This individual, when required, shall remain on duty for at least 1 hour after blasting is finished. Minimum equipment shall consist of a round-pointed, size 0 or larger shovel and a 3 to 5 gallon backpack pump filled with water. Blasting hours are restricted under fire precaution plan C, and blasting is prohibited under fire precaution plan D.

d. Welding - An area commensurate with the amount of welding to be accomplished shall be cleared before welding operations are started. Written permission must be obtained from the COR during fire precaution plan B, C and D. As a minimum, a 3 to 5 gallon backpack pump filled with water is to be available in addition to the vehicle fire extinguisher. The area in the immediate vicinity of the operation shall be wet down before and after operations. The area adjacent to the welding operations shall be thoroughly checked for fires for 1 hour after welding.

e. Fire Guard - The contractor shall designate at least one representative to train and supervise each work crew in fire prevention, detection, and suppression.

To prevent, detect, and suppress fires, the contractor shall provide a trained fire guard for projects involving internal combustion engines. The fireguard shall perform guard duties during operating hours. The fireguard may perform contract work in conjunction with fire guard duties.

Each fireguard shall report all fires and take suppression action on any fire that starts on the project area. Each fireguard shall be equipped with a vehicle and a fire tool cache consisting of a fire cache box, two size 0 shovels, two Pulaskis, two McLeod tools, and two 4 to 5 gallon backpack pumps filled with water. All equipment and tools shall be maintained in serviceable condition.

5. Fire Suppression

a. The contractor shall take independent action on the suppression of all fires in the work area or vicinity. Vicinity is defined as a 1/4 mile extension from the operations area boundary.

b. All Forest fires shall be reported to the District Ranger's Office as soon as possible. Even though the fire has been suppressed by the contractor's crew, this report is required. The office and telephone number to which fires shall be reported will be furnished to the contractor prior to start of contract work.

6. Equipment Requirements

a. All gasoline and diesel equipment (except turbocharged) used on the project shall be equipped with spark arresters approved in the Spark Arrester Guide, USDA Forest Service, June 1983.

b. All internal combustion engines must be inspected before use on the job and periodically thereafter by the Forest Service. Equipment not passing inspection cannot be used until repairs are made.

c. Serviceable baffled mufflers with standard exhaust tailpipes are considered adequate on trucks, pickups, and sedans.

d. Equipment service areas and gas and oil storage areas shall be cleared of brush, litter, debris, and grass for a radius of at least 50 feet.

e. Each piece of motorized equipment not included in item f below shall be equipped with a round-pointed shovel and fire extinguisher.

f. Fuel trucks, service trucks, and the work camp shall be equipped with a shovel, DB axe, and class ABC pressurized chemical fire extinguisher of not less than 15 pounds capacity by weight.

The shovels and fire extinguishers are in addition to those required for the toolbox (4.a.). These shall be furnished and maintained at the contractor's expense.

g. All crawler tractors and rubber-tired equipment suitable for fire suppression work shall be prepared for nighttime use by mounting of brackets for portable, self-contained, battery-operated lights, provided by the Forest Service.

h. Power saws shall be kept in a safe, serviceable condition at all times. Each power saw shall be equipped with an approved spark arrester/muffler system meeting the SAE J-335b standard.

(1) The refueling of power saws shall be done on mineral soil and the saw shall be moved at least 10 feet from the point of refueling to another barren spot before being started.

(2) Power saws with warm or hot spark arresters/mufflers (running or not) shall not be placed or rested on sawdust piles, litter duff, stumps or spots that are easily ignited.

(3) Each power saw shall be accompanied by one round pointed shovel in good condition and a metal fuel-safety can. One chemical pressurized fire extinguisher, 8 ounces or larger, is to be kept with the power saw operator at all times while working on the project. The shovel is to be kept with the fuel supply.

7. Smoking and Fires

a. Smoking

(1) No smoking shall be allowed while traveling, except on surfaced highways. A surfaced highway is any road that is oiled, graveled or otherwise paved.

(2) Smoking is not permitted while working. Smoking is only permitted on breaks in areas having a clearing of at least 3 feet in diameter to bare soil.

b. Fires - No warming, burning of debris, or cooking fires shall be permitted during periods of high or above fire danger except in designated places or by written permission.

8. Violations

a. Violations of the smoking regulations (36 CFR 261.52(a)(c)(d)) and fire requirement will result in criminal action against the violator. The contractor shall advise all employees of this regulation.

b. Violation or deficiencies of fire requirements shall result in immediate suspension of operations until the deficiency or violation is corrected. Repetitive violations will be grounds for default termination.

9. Historical Data - The following data on the Forest area involved is to be provided for the contractor's information. The data will be based on records for the past 10 years.

Total fire season March 1 to November 15

Average number of days of Plan A 102

Average number of days of Plan B 12

Average number of days of Plan C 7

Average number of days of Plan D 30

EXHIBIT 1

EMERGENCY FIRE PRECAUTION SCHEDULE

0,1,2

A

B

C

D

Area closure proclaimed by the Forest Supervisor or Regional Forester.

D