Special Operations

[ex-commish 490]

What qualifies a vehicle to have " Special Operations" put on it? Is it equipment, training or a combination of both. Looking for opinions.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

I doubt that I am a qualified source but from what I have seen, I would doubt that there are any qualifications in place for putting "Special Operations" on the side of vehicle.

[Bnechis 3,961]

What qualifies a vehicle to have " Special Operations" put on it? Is it equipment, training or a combination of both. Looking for opinions.

It is kind of like what makes a rescue a "HEAVY RESCUE". I believe its the capability of the unit to handle many different and difficult rescues. But many of the rigs that have it painted on the sides can only handle a 2 car accident. In that case the dept. uses "heavy" to determine the size of the (empty) box or the weight of the chassis.

"Special" operations is the short bus

Edited February 8, 2010 by Bnechis

[efdcapt115 1,511]

What qualifies a vehicle to have " Special Operations" put on it? Is it equipment, training or a combination of both. Looking for opinions.

The Department’s Special Operations Bureau is comprised of the Technical Services Division and the Command and Control Division. Special Operations is responsible for providing many highly specialized services in support of the Department’s daily mission in Los Angeles County and preparation in the event of a major disaster, including terrorism incidents involving mass casualties, locally or anywhere in the world. With many specialized resources in its arsenal, the Special Operations Bureau is ready to respond to a wide variety of scenarios on any continent.

http://fire.lacounty.gov/SpecialOps/SpecialOps.asp

[INIT915 1,119]

What qualifies a vehicle to have " Special Operations" put on it? Is it equipment, training or a combination of both. Looking for opinions.

A subjective term that can literally be defined differently by every single agency.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

I don't believe NIMS has any typing information for "special operations" but in my eyes it should include any vehicle whose purpose is to deliver manpower and equipment that is outside the day-to-day, bread-and-butter scope of Fire, EMS or Police services would be, in my eyes, a "Special Operations" vehicle, examples:

HAZMAT

MCI

Technical Rescue (Collapse, trench, confined, rope, machinery, etc)

Water/Dive Rescue

SWAT/ESU/SRT

Things along those lines.

[Guest]

While Special Operations should hopefully mean that they can handle things beyond the normal scope of a Rescue unit, I'm sure that we can all think of some companies that are capable of 'Special' operations...

[wraftery 1,275]

There is a nationally established criteria for such marking. You have to be able to pay for the lettering.

[Bnechis 3,961]

There is a nationally established criteria for such marking. You have to be able to pay for the lettering.

Or just use:

or as recently sugested in another thread:

Thanks Chief....the devil made me do it....lol

[helicopper 1,050]

A subjective term that can literally be defined differently by every single agency.

It is exactly that. In law enforcement it can signify a division or unit that does other than traditional law enforcement duties (patrol, investigative).

I'm not aware of any NIMS definition or requirements for such a designation and wraftery may have hit the only true requirement.