MESAC Uniform Regulations

MESAC members will be required to meet the following uniform regulations for all events. The only exception will be in-place communications drills or other events designated in the Exceptions. These regulations have been created to present a professional and uniform appearance to our served agency, the Costa Mesa Police Department, and the City of Costa Mesa. All uniform apparel should be clean and present a neat and professional appearance. When wearing the uniform items, you are identifying yourself with MESAC and the City of Costa Mesa, so wearing issued items for general casual wear is not allowed.

A. MESAC ID card

The MESAC Photo ID Card is to be attached by a suitable clip to the front of the polo shirt. The polo shirt has a loop just under the placket that it should be attached to. The preferable method is to attach it to a lanyard around the neck, so that it may be viewable over your vest or other outerwear. The lanyard must be plain in color with no company logos, or names on it, preferably navy blue or black in color. The only exception is if you were given a lanyard that states “Costa Mesa Police Department” on it or an issued MESAC lanyard.

B. Uniform Shirt

The city issued blue polo shirt will be worn at all planned events, special events, meetings, and call outs. Casual wearing of the polo shirt is inappropriate, and doing so could lead to dismissal from MESAC.

C. Safety Vest

In addition to the issued polo shirt, the safety vest must be worn at all activations and call outs. The vest is optional when manning our booth at a community event, or during a drill, but the requirement may change, based on the needs of the event. For night operations, the vest must always be worn, and it is recommended that red flashing LED lights be attached to the front and back of your vest for better visibility.

D. Trousers

Trousers will be full length and of a solid black color. Due to the harsh environments that we may operate in, it is recommended that tactical-style pants are worn. Black dress pants are also allowed. Corduroy, jeans (denim), sweat pants, leggings, or skin-tight pants are not acceptable uniform pants and should not be worn.

E. Shorts

Shorts are allowed as part of the uniform, but only on a limited basis. Wearing of shorts will only be allowed when specified for the event. Long pants must always be worn, unless you are told that shorts can be worn. Shorts must be all black in color and around knee length. Tactical style shorts are preferred. Sports style shorts (running, basketball, soccer, etc.) and skin tight shorts are not acceptable uniform shorts, and should not be worn.

F. Belt

If a belt is worn, it must be plain black in color. The buckle must be either silver or black. The preferred belt is a “riggers belt” that is one and three quarters inches in width (1 3⁄4”). A plain, black, leather belt or leather, basket weave belt are also acceptable belts.

G. Footwear

Shoes or boots must be appropriate for your assignment. Shoes or boots must be all black in color. Boots between 6”-10” in height are optimal due to the different types of terrain in which we work as they provide better ankle support. Lace up dress shoes may be worn if you can wear them comfortably for extended periods of time. Loafers or “athletic style” shoes (i.e. running shoes) shall not be worn with long pants, but athletic style shoes may be worn with shorts as long as they are all black in color.

H. Headwear

Wearing of a hat is optional. If issued to you, a navy blue baseball style hat with the MESAC logo may be worn. Other wide brim hats may be worn based on the environment we are operating in, but should not display advertisements for companies, or have company logos on it, with the exception of the manufacturer’s name, if it is small. Hard hats may be required for some incident scenes. That determination will be made by the Incident Commander or Safety Officer to meet OSHA safety regulations, applicable to the incident scene. A white, or yellow, hard hat are the only colors that should be worn. With the exception of the MESAC logo, your name and call sign, a “Communications” rocker, American flag, or reflective tape, no stickers, or other markings, should be on the outside of the hard hat.

I. Outerwear

MESAC members are issued a yellow jacket for cold weather with the MESAC name on the back. This jacket is optional and may be worn when the weather permits. If you do not have a MESAC jacket, or the weather is too cold, or warm, to wear it, then other suitable cold weather garments may be worn. The vest should be worn over other outer garments, as needed, for identification.

J. Planned, sanctioned, MESAC “non-incident” events

The MESAC uniform as described above should be worn at all planned events, special events, and meetings sanctioned by MESAC. The MESAC uniform must be worn in its entirety. Your MESAC ID Card may suffice for casual meetings where a MESAC presence is appropriate. If you are representing MESAC at a community event, or incident site, you must wear the ID card, and must be wearing the uniform as described above.

K. Uniform policy exceptions

Exceptions to the uniform policy may be made by the MESAC Board of Directors, the Incident Commander, or other city official(s) based on the operational needs of the incident. The polo shirt or other issued uniform items should not be worn when working on equipment in the radio room, on the repeater, on the roof mounted antennas, on the Baker to Vegas vehicles, or other events where it may become damaged or stained. The MESAC Board of Directors will rule on “gray areas.”

Items that are not issued to the member, but are worn with the uniform, shall be plain in color and free from corporate logos, or names, with the exception of a small logo with the manufacturer’s name. Items issued to members or items with the MESAC logo may not be worn except at a MESAC event. They are not to be worn as casual wear in public. This applies to all current and former MESAC uniform items. Old uniform items or items depicting the old MESAC logo(s) may not be worn to MESAC events or as casual wear in public. Members are not allowed to create their own uniform items with the MESAC logo unless authorized by the MESAC Board of Directors. All uniform items, issued by MESAC, remain the property of the City of Costa Mesa, and must be surrendered when asked. Any member seen wearing uniform items anywhere outside of a MESAC event will be subject to discipline, up to, and including, dismissal.