georgia department of transportation - mydocs...

Section: 2 Administrative

Article: 6 Uniforms and Personal Appearance

Incident Management UnitH.E.R.O.

Standard Operating Procedures

I. Policy:

The HERO Unit is required to wear highly visible uniforms in order to contribute to a safer working environment, develop a positive and professional image and to promote trust and professionalism to and for the traveling public, who are customers of the Georgia Department of Transportation.

II. Procedure:

A. It is the responsibility of each Operator to ALWAYS present a neat appearance and to ALWAYS properly wear the assigned uniforms that distinguishes them as being a member and representative of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s H.E.R.O. Unit.Due to the nature of this profession, it is the responsibility of the Operator to ensure ALL necessary items and equipment is with them when at work. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action taken.

B. The Georgia Department of Transportation HERO Unit will furnish all uniform items. No personal items shall be utilized on the uniform in any capacity without permission from any member of the Supervisor.

1. Each Operator will receive various uniform items. These items may include:Long sleeved heavy shirtsShort-sleeved polo shirtsRip stop pantsUnder beltDuty beltLight/Winter jacketBoots (Black)Rain JacketReflective safety vestRubber bootsGlovesWatch capPatches, Skill tabs, Sponsor insignia and Team patchesHERO ball cap and Miscellaneous items.

Written by: J. Josey, Manager Date: 9/15/2016





NOTE: Initially, HERO trainees will receive a minimum of five (5) high vis (Lime green) T-shirts with “TRAINEE” on the back. Once certified as an Operator, each HERO will be issued Operator uniforms.

C. All uniforms shall be clean and serviceable. Improperly worn, wrinkled, disheveled, and/or poorly fitting uniforms are against the image of professionalism the HERO Unit promotes and are prohibited.

1. Before laundering the uniform, Operators shall remove all reflective patches and insignia from the uniform loop panels.

2. Boots shall be laced and zipped to the top with laces tucked in and the boot cleaned and polished at the start of each shift/day. Noticeably dirty and/or unserviceable boots are prohibited.

3. Pants must be bloused at the top of the boot or tucked into the boot. If pants are medically authorized to be worn un-bloused, they shall be clear of all blousing strings and must fall no lower or higher than the 2nd eyelet from the toe of the boot in front and no lower than the top of the heel/sole in the rear.

4. Uniform shirts will be tucked in at the waistband.5. Each Operator shall be completely dressed in their uniforms and properly

equipped before the beginning of their work shift.6. Uniform items must be worn for the entire work shift.

7. The uniform must be worn in its entirety. There will be no partial uniforms or deviations from the dress code unless stated and/or approved by Senior Management staff. This includes patches, tabs, rockers and all other non-issued insignia.

8. Each Operator must be completely dressed in uniform for any training classes unless Management/Supervision states otherwise. The fully assembled duty belt and radio ARE NOT REQUIRED to be worn in class. However, they must be on the premises and immediately available to the Operator in the event he/she is pulled from class and placed in service.

9. T-shirts must be worn underneath the uniform shirt. T-shirts must be white or black. No T-shirt logos are permitted to be visible through the uniform shirt.

10. “Wife beaters” or “tank tops” DO NOT qualify as a T-shirt.11. Compression shirts may be worn underneath the uniform shirts. They must

be free and clear of any markings, damage, lettering, logos or designs with exception of the “HERO” logo. Thermal shirts, long sleeved compression shirts, ¾ and elbow length sleeve compression and any other type of garment that cling closely to the body is permitted. They must be the same,






solid color as issued items (grey, black or white) and free and clear of any markings, damage, lettering, logos or designs.

12. Headgear must be worn when the Operator is outside his/her vehicle. Headgear not issued by the department is not permitted. This includes, but is not limited to knit caps, personal ball caps, stocking caps, hair nets and anything considered by Senior Management to be unauthorized or unsafe to wear.

13. Short sleeved T-shirts or undergarments shall not hang loosely below the sleeve of a short sleeved polo or uniform shirt.

14. Operators are permitted to wear the HERO uniform in any approved combination.

15. Polo shirts shall not be worn completely unbuttoned.16. Solid black calf or tube socks must be worn at all times when in uniform.

Any other color is prohibited. The department DOES NOT provides socks. These will be provided by and at the expense of the Operator.

17. Load bearing suspenders are authorized to be worn in conjunction with the duty belt and shall be made available to Operators upon request. Suspenders shall not have any items affixed to them that will prohibit the wear and function of the safety vest. Suspenders not issued by the department must be approved by Senior Management. If approved, suspenders must be the same color and material as the duty belt.

18. Operators are prohibited from wearing items that hang, dangle or excessively protrude from the uniform, duty belt and suspenders. This includes, but is not limited to, keys and other non-issue personal items. Supervisors and Managers are exempt from this rule.

19. Operators shall not make alterations or modifications to the HERO uniform or to the duty belt and accessories without the approval of Senior Management.

20. Civilian clothing shall not be worn over the HERO uniform. This includes but is not limited to overcoats and scarves.

21. All hats and caps shall be worn appropriately and as designed. Exceptions may be given by Supervisors or Management depending on the particular duty or task being performed.

22. Instructor uniforms will consist of a red long and shorts sleeved polo shirt and black TRU SPEC 24/7 tactical pants. No long sleeved shirts of any type are permitted to be worn underneath the short sleeved Training polo. In addition, the duty belt and any other uniform items that may be assigned for wear, will be determined by the unit’s Training Officer and may be dictated by scope and level of course/training being administered or whatever he/she may see is professionally necessary.






D. Uniform Items soiled and / or damaged through normal wear and tear will be replaced as needed at the expense of the department. Uniform items lost, misplaced or damaged due to negligent wear and tear or improper maintenance will be investigated by HERO management, and replacement cost may be at the expense of the Operator. With the exception of extreme circumstances, damaged items must be turned in to receive a replacement.

E. All Operators shall adhere to the following grooming standards

1. Operators shall maintain their hair length off the collar of the uniform

shirt.2. Male Operators who wear close cropped haircuts shall maintain their

neck hairline so that it does not extend (grow) below the collar of the uniform shirt.

3. Sideburns shall be neatly trimmed and no longer down the face than the bottom of the ear.

4. Beards, mustaches, chin and lip goatees are permitted. However, length is restricted to 1/4” MAXIMUM and neatly trimmed. The definition of “neatly” is at the discretion of Management.

5. Fingernails are to be kept neatly trimmed and close to the finger so as to not interfere with job duties (i.e. wearing latex gloves (PPE), using computer keyboard, etc.). Operators male & female will not wear add on nails or have long nails that curl over or under the fingers.

6. Earrings are prohibited for male Operators. 7. Female Operators shall be allowed to wear their hair in various styles. If

long hair is preferred, then it must be worn in some type of “bun” arrangement or “pony tail”, with the hair not going over the shoulder when leaning forward. If wearing the hair down is preferred, the hair cannot go past the chin when leaning forward. These styles must allow the uniform hat to be worn, which will reduce the potential for personal injury to the female Operator.

8. Also NOT PERMITTED includes but is not limited to: Unnatural hair colors Mohawks Cornrows (males) Any style that allows the hair to go below the collar that is not

preapproved.Written by: J. Josey, Manager Date: 9/15/2016





Any hairstyle that is not approved by Management.

9. It is at the Management’s discretion on what are acceptable hairstyles.

10. HERO Operators who represent the unit but are assigned to different departments will adhere to HERO SOP’s.

11. Operators will practice good personal hygiene for health and personal grooming reasons.

12. Earrings are allowed for female Operators provided they meet the following requirements: 6mm (1/4”) ball stud, one (1) per ear in the middle of the lobe, gold or silver with a brush, matte or shiny finish.

13. Nose, lip or tongue rings are not permitted when in uniform and/or while on your tour of duty with the HERO unit. Metal bracelets are not permitted while in uniform with the exception of a medical alert bracelet. Rubber or Para cord bracelets are permitted provided they are approved by management first. One ring is allowed to be worn whether married or not. Ring must not reference religion, race, sexual orientation, organizations of the aforementioned or be distasteful (i.e. language, symbols, etc.) to the point it is disruptive to the unit. Ear, nose and lip plugs are prohibited.

14. Necklaces and lanyards are prohibited. This is for safety considerations. (this does not include medical alert necklaces)

15. Tattoos / body art/ brands that are excessive, obscene, and/or sexually explicit or advocate or symbolize sex, gender, racial, religious, ethnic or national origin discrimination are prohibited. It is at Management’s discretion on what is acceptable or excessive tattoos/body art/branding.

16. Tattoos/ body art/branding that advocate gang affiliation, extremist groups, violence, criminal activity (past or present) or drug use are prohibited.

17. Current Operators who have tattoos/body art/branding that meet or exceed the listed criteria will be subject to review by HERO Management.

18. Uniforms will be worn when participating in parades, funerals, emergency services events and other special events, unless otherwise directed by the Management.

19. Operators will maintain a neat, clean and professional presence at all times while on or off duty when in uniform.






20. Operators are allowed to wear department issued raingear when there is inclement weather or at Management’s discretion. Inclement weather is rain or snow.

21. Cold weather headgear is prohibited between April 15th through October 15th unless management states otherwise.

F. All personnel shall adhere to the following wear standards of the ACU (All Climate Uniform).






1. When wearing the ACU top, it shall be zipped and closed no lower than the top, innermost corners of the breast pockets.

2. Mandarin collar shall be worn folded down when not in use. When in use, the collar must be worn in its standing configuration. Use is determined by employing the hook and loop neck strap. When this strap is not in use, it shall be worn folded under the collar in its folded down position.

3. When wearing the ACU top, the appropriate badge patch must be worn.

4. When wearing the ACU top, it must be tucked in at the waist, to the ACU pants.

5. When wearing the full ACU uniform (top & bottom), duty belt MUST be worn.

6. ACU uniform MUST BE CLEAN, PRESSED, WRINKLE FREE and SERVICEABLE at the start of every shift/day. No exceptions.

7. Elbow pad and kneepads may be worn while wearing any uniform configuration. Knee and elbow pads shall be BLACK in color. Combinations of the colors are not allowed.

8. Shoulder pockets are not to be used unless given permission by management to do so. They will serve as an identification platform only.

9. Sleeves on the ACU top may be rolled up. If rolled, the cuff must be above the elbow and below the shoulder pocket.

10. When wearing rolled sleeves, they must be rolled as noted below:

Undo Velcro cuff of the ACU top and lay it on a flat surface. Flip the sleeves inside out by folding the cuffs of the sleeve up

towards the armpit area. Pull it up until it almost touches the inside seam of the armpit region.

Roll the bottoms of the inside out sleeves two (2) or three (3) inches upwards until you reach the cuffs.

Roll the cuffs down until they cover the rolled sleeves. Fasten the Velcro cuffs and be certain none of the inside sleeves are visible from underneath.

Ensure the roll is smooth and without wrinkles, creases or bulges.

11. When wearing any combination of the HERO uniform, black socks must be worn. Those who may not desire to wear black socks may instead choose to tuck their pants into the boots instead of blousing them.






12. Polo shirts may be worn year round and are authorized to be worn underneath the ACU shirt.

13. Polo shirts MUST BE CLEAN, PRESSED, WRINKLE FREE and SERVICEABLE at the start of every shift/day.






On the Right sleeves of both the the ACUand jacket, the “Unit Patch”, Rank rocker” and “Sponsor patch” will be worn in that order from top To bottom.






On the Left Shoulders of both the jacket and the ACU, “Skill tabs” (2 max), “Team patches”, “Rank Rocker” (not shown in drawing) and “Sponsor patch”.

14. Patches that are required to be worn are:

Unit (worn on both shoulders when “Team patch” is not worn) Team (Left shoulder) Rank (Both shoulders) Sponsor (Both shoulders) Badge Boonie hat “Tab” or “HERO Medallion”

15. When wearing the Soft shell jacket, only the “Unit”, “Team”, “Rank” and “Sponsor” patchs shall be worn. Appropriate shoulder locations apply.






16. When wearing the “Boonie hat”, the “HERO medallion” or hat tab MUST be worn centered in the front of the hat. The brim and the cap of the hat may be formed and contoured to the desire of the Operator.






17. Because this is a uniform item, no “Boonie” hats, other than those issued by the HERO unit, are permitted to be worn. Operators shall not wear their personal hat.

18. For safety reasons, the adjustable chin strap shall be worn and adjusted to the rear of the wearers head, should they choose to wear it down. It will not be worn hanging down the front, face side of the hat. This presents a potential hazard.

19. Chin strap may be stored inside of the hat while worn, drawn tightly across the top or removed completely.

20. A single fixed or folding knife is permitted to be worn with any combination of the uniform. This tool’s blade cannot exceed five (5) inches either fixed or open. If the blade is fixed, it must be in a sheath that is of the same color and materials as the duty belt, suspenders and accessories.

21. When wearing ANY uniform combination, the “brass badge” must be worn on the duty belt. This badge must also be worn on the same side of the duty belt as it is worn on the shirt,

22. Boots must be solid black in color. They may be a combination of leather and other lightweight materials. However, the toe and heel of the boots must be full leather regardless of the construction material combinations.






23. Boots must be eight (8) inches in height unless medical exemption is requested and granted.

24. Boots must be of the “tactical” variety and have a rubber/composite sole.

25. Boots MUST BE polished to a shine at the start of every shift/day. No exceptions.

26. Reflective safety vests must be clean and serviceable. Dirty and/or damaged vests must be either cleaned or replaced immediately. It is the Operators responsibility to maintain the cleanliness and serviceability of his/her reflective safety vest.

27. When wearing the reflective safety vest, it must be zipped to the top. Anyone wearing the reflective safety vest is prohibited from wearing the vest unzipped. This is for safety purposes.

28. When wearing the duty uniform (except the full ACU), a black belt is required to be worn. NO UNDER BELTS WILL BE WORN IN LIEU. This belt must be leather or nylon with a black plastic buckle. A brushed, matte, polished silver or gold metal buckle is also permitted. Only Supervisors and above are permitted to wear gold.

29. Belt buckles will not exceed 3” in width and 2” in height. 30. When the full duty belt is worn, issued and non-issued accessories

(except for the primary radio) may be configured anywhere on the belt that the Operator desires.

31. The primary radio must be worn on the left side of the duty belt. Its shoulder mic may be worn on either shoulder or wherever the Operator desires.

32. A minimum of four (4) belt keepers must be worn when wearing the duty belt. They must be constructed of the same material as the duty belt and accessories. Its buttons may be black matte, brushed or polished silver or gold. When the hook & loop under/duty belt system is worn, belt keepers will be worn in the event the loop panels fail to hold.

33. With the exception of the Supervisors and managers, the only item permitted to be worn on the duty belt will be those items issued to the Operator and those items approved by Management.

G. All personnel shall adhere to the following wear standards of the “Class A” uniform.

1. Class A uniform must be worn with all issued collar brass.2. Class A uniform must be clean, pressed and free of stains, wear and

wrinkles.Written by: J. Josey, Manager Date: 9/15/2016





3. Management will determine the wearing and configuration of the duty belt and its accessories when wearing the Class A uniform.

4. A standard or clip on tie must be worn when wearing the Class A uniform.

5. Personnel shall not wear any other items on the Class A uniform that is not issued by the department unless authorized by Management.

6. Collar brass shall be worn on the Class A shirt as follows:a. “GDOT” will be worn on the right collar (Left when facing),

centered 1.5” from the tip.b. “HERO” will be worn on the left collar (right when facing),

centered 1.5” from the tip.






c. The nameplate will be worn on the right breast pocket 1/8” down from the top seam of the pocket flap and centered.

d. The badge will be centered above the left breast pocket in either the garment’s pre-placed holes or ¼” above and centered of the pocket’s top seam






.






e. The F.T.O. pin will be worn on the right breast pocket, 1/4” below the nameplate.

f. Accessories like ink pens and whistles with snake chains may be approved for wear with the Class A uniform by the unit Manager. However, they must be of the same color metal and sheen of the brass worn. EXAMPLE: Operators 1 & 2 will wear silver badges and brass, therefore, should they wear an ink pen or whistle & snake chain, it must be silver.






g. If worn, the snake chain will be attached to the right shoulder epaulet button on one end and the whistle, attached on the other end, concealed within the right breast pocket.

h. If worn, the ink pen will be placed within the pen sleeve on the left breast pocket. If there is no sleeve for the ink pen, it shall not be worn unless approved to by the unit Manager.

i. When in the Class A uniform, hats will not be worn indoors unless on a special detail or by directive of the unit Manager.


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