What are the primary duties of the Rehab Officer?

• A. Coordinate rehab operations, monitor personnel, ensure protocol compliance, log data, and facilitate medical clearance decisions
• B. Manage the incident scene
• C. Drive fire apparatus
• D. Conduct all rescue operations

Answer: (A)

Rehab at an incident focuses on safely restoring responders so they can return to duty. The Rehab Officer is the person who runs that process: setting up and running the rehab area, keeping crews rotating and out of excessive heat or fatigue, and making sure everyone gets the rest, hydration, nutrition, and cooling they need.

Key duties include monitoring personnel for signs of heat stress, fatigue, or illness; providing and documenting rest breaks, fluids, and nutrition; and coordinating with medical staff to evaluate and clear firefighters before they go back to work. They maintain records of who enters rehab, duration of rehab, vitals or symptoms observed, and the status of each person’s medical clearance. This role ensures all rehab activities follow established protocols and policies.

This is distinct from incident scene management, which is handled by command or operations; from driving fire apparatus, which is the driver/operator’s duty; and from performing all rescue operations, which is the responsibility of rescue teams and command.