SAFETY PROCEDURES 805
RAPID INTERVENTION TEAM (RIT) page 1 of 3 9/8/99
BACKGROUND
1. The Incident Commander at the scene of an incident with an
atmosphere that is Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health
(IDLH) shall as soon as possible assign a minimum of two
firefighting personnel to fulfill the role of a Rapid
Intervention Team (RIT). If necessary, additional units
shall be summoned to the scene to accomplish this objective.
Unless the incident is a fire in the incipient stage (i.e.
can be extinguished with a hand held fire extinguisher), or
the rescue of trapped occupants is necessary, incident
commanders shall have a RIT in place prior to the
commencement of interior firefighting operations.
2. The RIT team shall equip themselves with the following
minimum equipment.
a. Full bunker gear including hoods and firefighting
gloves.
b. A FULL SCBA with mask in place and P.A.S.S. device
armed.
c. One flashlight for each member of the RIT (personal
lights are OK).
d. A search rope. On larger buildings, consider attaching
two search ropes together or using a longer line.
e. Halligan Tool and Flat Head Axe.
f One Spare Airpack with mask - Make sure bottle is full.
g. Two-way communications with the Incident Commander.
8. Charged hose line.
3. The RIT team should consider equipping themselves with some,
or all, of the following equipment for complex or extended
operations.
1. Sledgehammer
2. Hand and/or gas powered hydraulic tools
3. Airbags
4. Saws with masonry and/or metal cutting capability
5. High lift and/or hand jacks
6. Cribbing
7. Positive pressure ventilation fan
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8. Basic patient stabilization equipment
RIT STANDBY
1. The RIT shall report to the command post unless otherwise
directed by the Incident Commander. The Incident Commander
should consider placing the RIT close to the building under
certain conditions (i.e. CP long distance from building).
The RIT members should remain keenly aware of the location
of interior crews.
2. If easily accessible the RIT should perform a quick 360
degree size up of the structure with special attention to
other exits (potential exits) from the building. On large
buildings, i.e. warehouses, consideration should be given
early on to forcing side exit doors and leaving them closed
yet unlocked in case of emergency. The RIT should ensure
that utilities have been secured and evaluate the need for
ground ladder placement (emergency escape) by other
companies to the upper floors of multistoried buildings.
3. Once a 360 degree size up of the building has been
completed, the RIT team shall report back to the standby
area designated by command. While in the standby mode, the
RIT shall diligently monitor the fire ground operating
channel to remain aware of conditions and potential
problems. The RIT shall notify command via radio ANYTIME
they leave the predesignated staging area. There is to be no
freelancing.
RIT DEPLOYMENT
1. Upon being notified that, or otherwise becoming aware of,
firefighter(s) are lost, missing or trapped, the Incident
Commander shall initiate the “MAYDAY” protocol clearing the
radio channel of all radio traffic. The Incident Commander
shall deploy the RIT if conditions permit and shall attempt
to confirm the location/condition of the endangered crew. If
necessary, all other normal fire ground communications may
have to be switched to another channel to permit the RIT and
endangered crew to communicate freely.
2. Upon deployment, the RIT shall notify Command of the
specific entrance they have taken into the structure.
Additionally the RIT shall secure a lifeline to the outside
and remain tethered at all times. The RIT shall assess, and
if necessary communicate to command any additional resource
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needs such as hose line protection or extrication/forcible
entry equipment.
3. Upon deployment of the RIT, the Incident Commander shall
immediately assign a minimum of two firefighting personnel
to assume the role as a secondary (backup) RIT team to
standby outside the building. This RIT team should
preferably be a non-fatigued crew. The goal is to have at
least a minimum of two "ready to go" personnel standing by
outside the hazard zone anytime personnel (including other
RITs) are operating inside the hazard zone. The incident
commander should consider summoning additional resources to
insure the accomplishment of this objective.
4. Also upon deployment of the RIT, a rescue crew will
immediately be summoned and remain uncommitted for any other
reason than the treatment of the trapped or endangered
firefighter and the RIT members.
5. The Incident Commander should consider CISM should the RIT
be used to rescue a downed firefighter.
RESCUE OF TRAPPED FIREFIGHTER
Upon locating a trapped or unconscious firefighter(s) the RIT
shall perform the following:
STEP 1. Locate and shutoff the downed firefighter's P.A.S.S.
device if it has been activated
STEP 2. Notify command that you have located the downed
firefighter. Try to give a specific location.
STEP 3. If the downed firefighter is unresponsive, the RIT
shall assess the firefighter for adequate respirations,
and to ascertain if there is an adequate air supply in
the SCBA cylinder. If there is little or no air left in
the cylinder augment his/her air supply via the use of
the emergency pack (NOTE: only if properly trained to
do a “Hot bottle change” in an IDLH atmosphere), or
auxiliary airline connection. Should the firefighters
respirations not be sufficient, they must be
immediately removed from the IDLH atmosphere.
STEP 4. The RIT member should use his/her hands to sweep the
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downed firefighter's body, head limbs, and airpack to
determine possible entanglement or entrapment. If
entanglement or entrapment is found, the RIT must
notify Command immediately and initiate extrication.
Depending on the level of threat/hazard, the downed
firefighter may be packaged as outlined in our Medical
SOP, or removed immediately as the situation dictates.
STEP 5. The RIT must attempt to remove the downed firefighter
as quickly as possible from the hazard zone.
STEP 6. Upon removal of the injured firefighter the RIT will
immediately turn the victim over to the designated
rescue crew for treatment. The RIT should not, under
normal circumstances, be expected to treat the victim
once outside the structure or hazard area.
STEP 7. All RIT members shall report to Rehab where they are to
be evaluated.
RIT TERMINATION
Command shall continue to staff a RIT throughout the incident
until such time that the possibility of danger has been removed.
prepared/submitted by: approval:
JOSH Committee David A. Casey, Chief
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