DD FORM 518

The Accident-Identification Card, DD Form 518 (fig. 6-11), is used to provide any person involved in a mishap with a Navy vehicle with the name and organizational assignment of the Navy operator. Always fill out the DD Form 518 at the scene of the mishap, and give a copy to the driver of the other vehicle concerned. If the mishap involves a parked car and the owner or operator is not available, place the DD Form 518 in or on the parked vehicle. Notify the police immediately, and remain at the scene of the mishap until the police arrive or the owner or operator can be located.

TRANSPORTATION POOL

The management, maintenance, and administration of transportation, construction, weight-handling and material-handling equipment at an activity are the responsibility of designated components, such as the transportation division, branch, or section in a Public

Works Department or Alfa company in a Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB).

The transportation officer in a public works and the Alfa company commander designated as the equipment officer in an NMCB are directly responsible to the commanding officer of the activity for the management and maintenance of all assigned CESE. In an NMCB, the Alfa company operations chief, transportation supervisor, and senior petty officers are responsible to the equipment officer for the administration, operations, and operator maintenance of all assigned CESE.

YOUR PERFORMANCE when assigned as the dispatcher, yard boss, collateral equipage custodian, attachment custodian, as an EO assigned to the transportation pool, or when conducting prestarts, operating equipment, performing post-operational checks, operator's maintenance, and completing and documenting any problems with apiece of equipment is all part of the equipment management program.

Figure 6-11.-Accident-Identification Card, DD Form 518.

DISPATCHING

Your primary duty when dispatching is to manage the assigned equipment resources efficiently within the general policies and directives of the Navy and policies set forth by the equipment officer. Policies and directives for dispatch operations are outlined in the NAVFAC P-300, Management of Transportation; NAVFAC P-404, Equipment Management Manual; and COMSECOND/COMTHIRDNCBINST 11200.1 Series, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) Equipment Management Instruction.

Duties of the Dispatcher

The dispatcher is the key equipment management position in a unit and is the hub of communication for daily equipment operations. A competent dispatcher must possess the knowledge, skill, and ability to accomplish the following:

Convey information and instruction in a concise and tactful manner.

Exercise good judgment and make decisions quickly.

Work efficiently under pressure.

Conduct administrative, clerical, and recordkeeping duties

Have knowledge of equipment sizes, types, uses, and limitations.

Some of the major job requirements of the dispatcher are as follows:

1. Route information: The dispatcher must know and convey to operators information on the weather, road conditions, routes to travel, and emergency procedures. The dispatcher must also know weight limits on roads and bridges, low clearances, traffic hazards, and have a good knowledge of local transportation systems, schedules, and routes.

2. Equipment status: The dispatcher must know the current status and location of every assigned item of equipment.

3. Keys: The dispatcher controls the keys to all vehicle locking devices and ignition keys. Spare keys are maintained in the equipment history jacket.

4. Records: The dispatcher checks operator licenses, and issues the Operator's Daily PM Report, NAVFAC 11260/4, for documenting pre- and postoperational checks on construction, weight-handling, and material-handling equipment. The Operator's Inspection Guide and Trouble Report, NAVFAC 9-11240/13, and the Motor Equipment Utilization Record, DD Form 1970, are used for documenting preand post-operational checks and recording the utilization of automotive equipment. Additionally, the dispatcher must ensure that equipment required to operate over the road contains mishap reporting procedures and forms. The proper forms are a Standard Form 91 and a description of local mishap reporting procedures.

EQUIPMENT STATUS BOARD.- The Equipment Status Board provides a means of listing, by USN number, all equipment assigned to a unit. The status board should be color-coded to identify the current status, general assignment, and location of each piece of CESE (fig. 6-12).

A responsibility of the dispatcher is to know the current status and location of every assigned piece of equipment. This is accomplished by maintaining the status board and by making, at the end of each work day, a comparison check between the dispatch Equipment Status Board and the Equipment Status Board of cost control.

USN Numbers.- All Navy automotive vehicles, construction equipment, and weight-handling equipment are assigned USN registration numbers for identification. The number assigned to each unit of equipment is keyed to classify the unit by the pertinent subcategory within one of eight major categories of equipment; for example, registration series USN 40-00000 is a major category consisting of earthmoving equipment. 45-00000 of that registration series pinpoints it as a loader. Figure 6-13 shows some of the registration sereis and equipment categories used in the Naval Construction Force.

Equipment Codes.- The equipment codes on the Equipment Status Board are used to establish permanent and positive identification of each piece of equipment; for example, the equipment codes for dozers under the same 48-00000 USN number series identify specific pieces by manufacturer, model, attachments (i.e., winch, ripper, and cab), and so forth.