MISSION STATEMENT
"We are dedicated to the preservation and protection of life and property of our community through education, fire prevention, emergency services and disaster preparedness."
RDPO SAFECOM
ELECTRONIC SAFECOM SUBMIT INSTRUCTIONS
The RDPO Aviation Safety Communiqué (SAFECOM) database fulfills the Aviation Mishap Information System (AMIS) requirements for aviation mishap reporting for the RDPO agencies. Categories of reports include airspace, incidents, hazards, maintenance, management and mishap prevention.The system uses the RDPO SAFECOM Form to report any condition, observation, act, maintenance problem, or circumstance with personnel or aircraft that has the potential to cause an aviation-related mishap. RDPO SAFECOMS may also be used to identify good “acts, events, and circumstances” as well as unsafe situations. The RDPO SAFECOM system is not intended for initiating punitive actions. Submitting an RDPO SAFECOM is not a substitute for "on-the-spot" correction(s) to a safety concern. It is a tool used to identify, document, track and correct safety related issues. An RDPO SAFECOM does not replace the requirement for initiating an accident or incident report.
RDPO SAFECOMS are an accident prevention tool for everyone associated with RDPO aviation operations. These instructions and helpful hints are intended to make the process of submitting an RDPO SAFECOM as easy as possible. After the completion and submission of your RDPO SAFECOM, your data will be stored in a central database that is shared on an interagency basis. Therefore, you only have to submit one RDPO SAFECOM per event.
The REPORTED BY section is associated with the person submitting the RDPO SAFECOM. All of these fields are optional. However, this contact information is extremely helpful if it becomes necessary to follow-up with the submitter on a particular issue. This section asks for the name of the person reporting the event, their contact information and the organization they work for. RDPO SAFECOMS may be submitted anonymously. If you choose to submit your name or any other information in this section, it will not appear on the RDPO SAFECOM that is available to the general public.
The EVENT section asks for the "when" and "where" in addition to damage or injuries. Select the appropriate Date from the date selector, and then enter the Local Time using the 24-hour time format hhmm. Note that the date is a required field and both the date and time fields will only accept numeric characters. Were there any Injuries? Yes or No. If you select Yes, please explain in the narrative. Was there any Damage? Yes or No. If you select Yes, please explain in the narrative. The next three selections identify the Agency, Region or State for USDI and the Unit that had operational control of the mission at the time of the event. These selections determine which organization(s) will receive initial notification that a SAFECOM has been entered into the database. From the drop down table select the Agency. In the Location field enter the airport, name of the fire or lat and long. The final field in this section is the State, which applies to the state where the event occurred. Note that the State field is a required entry.
The MISSION section asks for information that describes the mission at the time of the event. In the Type field, use the drop down table to make a selection that best describes the mission that was being performed. Use the Other field if you need to further identify the mission or if nothing is available from the drop down table that actually describes the mission. In the Procurement Field, enter how the aircraft you were utilizing was procured from the drop down table. Use the Other field to further identify procurement if necessary. Under Onboard, enter the total number of people on the aircraft, which includes the pilot(s), all flight crew personnel and passengers. Was the mission Special Use, Yes or No? Many of our missions are special use. In fact, almost all fire missions are considered special use as well as animal counting, herding, eradication, etc. Were there Hazardous Materials onboard, Yes or No? In Departure, enter the point where you departed from, an airport or helibase for example and under Destination, enter the intended destination, which could be an airport, fire name or helispot.
The AIRCRAFT Section generally applies to the aircraft you are utilizing. However, in the event of an airspace intrusion, conflict or near mid-air, enter as much information as possible about the other aircraft. If there are multiple aircraft involved, list the other aircraft in the narrative section. In the Type field, enter the aircraft type from the drop down table. In the Tail # field enter the tail number of the aircraft beginning with N for US Registered. Please do not enter the Tanker, Jumper or Helicopter number unless that is all you have. In the Manufacturer field, select the manufacturer from the drop down table. In the Model field, enter the model number without any spaces or hyphens. In the Owner field, enter the name of the agency if the aircraft is an agency fleet aircraft (ie SRFD, TVFR, etc) or the name of the vendor operating the aircraft if it is contracted. In the Pilot field enter the pilot’s name, first name then last name.
In the CORRECTIVE ACTION section give a brief description of the corrective action that was taken in an effort to prevent the event from reoccurring. Remember, submitting an RDPO SAFECOM is not a substitute for resolving the problem and taking on the spot corrective action. RDPO SAFECOMS often get the attention of senior management. However, minor or repetitive issues may only be used for tracking and trending purposes and generating SAFETY ALERTS for prevention purposes.
Press the Continue button to preview your RDPO SAFECOM prior to submission. From the Preview page, you can Upload images and/or PDFs, return to submit form to Continue Editing your RDPO SAFECOM, Save a Draft of your RDPO SAFECOM or Submit your RDPO SAFECOM.
Accidents and Incidents-With-Potential (IWP) must be reported immediately via the most expeditious method in accordance with the Interagency Aviation Mishap Response Guide and Checklist. An RDPO SAFECOM should be completed within 5 days, but it is not to be used as an initial notification method.
In the NARRATIVE section give a brief description of the event with the facts and outcome of the event. Elaborate on any previous blocks above as necessary.