The Vestavia Hills Fire Department did not have a standardized written procedure for operations at confined space emergencies. The purpose of this research project was to develop a standard operating procedure for operations at confined space incidents for the Vestavia Hills Fire Department. The author also explored the readiness of other fire departments in Alabama to perform confined space rescue. The research questions were as follows: 1. What regulations and national consensus standards exist concerning confined space rescue? 2. What type of equipment is needed for confined space rescue? 3. What components are needed for an effective confined space rescue SOP? 4. What is the state of readiness of the fire service within Alabama to perform confined space rescue? These research questions were answered using the action and evaluative research methods.The action research method was utilized to develop a confined space standard operating procedure and a rescue equipment list for the Vestavia Hills Fire Department. The evaluative research method was used in determining, through a response survey, the readiness of other fire departments within Alabama. The need for fire departments to better prepare for confined space operations by embracing relevant OSHA regulations, consulting the NFPA standards of recommended practices, and developing and implementing standard operating procedures was indicated by this project.