Rit Teams

[wilderness]

Does your department have a RIT Team ( Rapid Intervention Team) or does your department practise this?
and what type of equipment are you using for this?

[Michael13]

We establish a RIT team at a scene if one is needed. And if the personal are available. We practice this any time we are practising search and rescue with our smoke machine and for example an old house. Our team always consists one 2 members and if they are needed we replace them. We try to use them up. If we are using two attack teams the RIT guys will replace them when the guys come out for rehab. Two fresh guys from rehab then go to RIT. WE make it a cycle so no one gets exhasted.

[TiSme]

As a volly dept we have no special or specific RIT equip or package at this time.

We have been talking and looking at organising a proper RIT bag with spare air and tool pouch. But we have not put one in service as yet. I am interested to hear what others are doing. It could help us in our planing.

As far as training. We do try to incorporate a RIT team into our training and run guy's through some of the basics. At a scene we will have a team set and available as the RIT team. This team will be changed out in a rotation pattern also. But the RIT team members will always be among the freshest so to speak. If they are needed we can't aford to have tired people in that group. Thankfully todate we have not needed to use the RIT team. Right now we have a smal tool pouch that they can carry with some additional hand tools. But we hope to change that.

We have been looking into loading some of our members on a RIT course. One of the halls we do mutual aid with has had some of there members on it and stated it was very good.


Let's be safe out there!!

[remya]

We operate the same as Michael13. It has come up that we are not doing enough training in this area and we are looking to chang this.

One problem we have is our department has such a mish mash of BA's that unless you are going in with a selection the likelihood that you will pick the correct one for a firefighter rescue is low. That is as I said only one problem!!

We have a new training officer and a local college course teaching RIT procedures and operations that we hope will go a long way in the near future.

[bestcoast]

At every working fire the B/C will pick one of the rig's to be the RIT team. Depending on the size of the fire the RIT team will change. But the bigger the fire the more rig's are coming so an RIT team is always at the ready........

[BillyBlazes]

At every fire call a rescue(4 people on board) is dispatched to be the designated RIT. If they are called into play a second rescue is dispatched to the call.

The rescue members have all received special RIT training and equipment staged near the command unit to be deployed.

[LFD_FF17]

What is a RIT team?

[Red_Devil]

Rapid Intervention Team, Generally a rit team is in place at major events such as a house fire where there is a chance a crew workig inside may need assistance, this "standby" team will be deployed and attempt to assist missing, injured or lost firefighters. And now ya know!!!

[LFD_FF17]

Ok thanks for explaining it to me. Im not sure if we have that here in Edmonton but we prolly have something along those lines.

Firefighterkid

[Red_Devil]

Believe me kid, you do, you so do, one of the most important jobs at a fire scene is RIT, which brings me to another thought....or belief.....I feel that establishing a RIT team is important but many depts dont properly train RIT teams, they assign the task to any crew on scene, being a RIT team is hard work, I feel that a RIT team should be properly trained to the level of RIT.

[remya]

Unfortunately Red_Devil you hit the nail on the head. The only one coming to save your firefighters is your firefighters (your hall)

If your members are not trained properly then what are they going to do, they will try there best... but that will not be good enough in a real RIT situation, without the proper training and team structure.

2 newbie's are usually our RIT team...I feel safe!!

[LFD_FF17]

When i have been at fires i havent seen people just standing around waiting for something to happen so they can go to work. About a year ago there was a fire in an apartment downtown and there were guys in the parkade fighting the fire and then it collapsed and it just seemed like everyone was scrambling to get the down guys out. I know its not the guys on the rescue that are the RIT team. They are the guys that go in on fire attack.

[Red_Devil]

RIT will usually be the 3rd or 4th truck in to a structure fire, and thats exactly it they stand around waiting for something to happen, Ideally the RIT team should have a cache of tools setup, stuff they will need to do the job, do a 360 of the buildling to sizeup and hazards and entrance and escape points, throw up a ladder to a 2nd story window for means of egress from that point as well, listen to all radio traffic so you know where all the crews are operating and hear if someone is in danger.. should also be setup close the the IC. Now this is all JUST to get prepared, if the RIT is deployed then the WORK starts, as they are a variety of things that must be covered once inside the structure and preforming a emergency evacuation.

BOOYA!

[daveb]

RIT team(s) is one of the most important jobs on a fire ground. i took a weekend course two weeks ago and it is the most physcally demanding courses i'v ever done. Check out www.rapidintervention.com it's a great site lots of info. The topic of the month is a must print. Take it to your hall and talk about it. Bring up the awareness level. We as firefighters are no good in the public eye if we leave one of our own inside.

[Firefighter1680]

Upon confrimation of working fire a rescue is assigned as the RIT team. All the rescues carry RIT packs which consist of an SCBA with face piece, a tool pouch. We arrive and secure a our own hose line. WE take our k-12 saw and thermal imager(one on every rescue) and anything else you can thing of to help us.

[LTPVFD]

We have protocol that requires establishment of a RIT team at any working structure fire. Minimum of two members assigned, and basically their only task is to stand by in case something happens.

Members attend a one day RIT training session, incorporating theory, and hands on training. Hands on training includes self rescue, as well as fire fighter rescue. We try to incorporate a RIT scenario into all our of major training sessions.

We carry a RIT pack on our ladder truck. Pack contains SCBA, flashlights and tools (halligan bar & axe). Other equipment available on the truck as needed.

We are looking at upgrading our airpacks with a new RIT connection available from Scott. This is a quick connect that will connect directly into your airline. Procedure to connect is quick and easy.

As a point of interest, Steve Kreis, Deputy Chief of the Phoenix, Arizone Fire Dept, spoke at the B.C. Fire Training Officers Association conference in Cranbrook last spring (2004).

As was clearly demonstrated through over 200 drills conducted in a variety of structures, as a result of the death of F.F. Brett Tarver, RAPID INTERVENTION ISN'T RAPID !!

Stay safe !!


LTPVFD

[smoke286]

Our Dept purchased all new Brething Apparatus last year, shortly afterwards several (non life threatening) but rather troubling defects showed up. While these were being developed the Dept instituted a RIT at structure fires. Once the problems were dealt with the practice was dropped

[colin911]

Our Dept purchased all new Brething Apparatus last year, shortly afterwards several (non life threatening) but rather troubling defects showed up. While these were being developed the Dept instituted a RIT at structure fires. Once the problems were dealt with the practice was dropped

So at working fires, you don't use a RIT sector????? Even if you have perfect SCBA, that doesn't mean something else can't happen. I'd be talking to my union H+S rep about that.

[smoke286]

We have talked to everyone involved, and no we don't have RIT teams.

[colin911]

What's the concensus on the fireground? What do the FF's think? Do the Captains and District Chiefs feel that it isn't neccessary? What is your SOG if a firefighter is missing or trapped?

[LtBlondie]

deevo I have alot of information I will PM you tonight from work..By the way that's great news.

[kriand]

Thanks Alot Lt Blondie, Very Much Appreciated. All The Extra Equipement That I Requested Has Been Put In & With All The Money We Are Getting, It'll Be Pocket Change! Should Be Getting It All In The Near Future! Thanks

Deevo.....what's with all the capital letters for the first letter of every word???

[LtBlondie]

What are ya a grammar teacher now? Jack of all trades!!

[kriand]

What are ya a grammar teacher now? Jack of all trades!!
JuSt wOnDeRiNg , That's all

[mikeeps]

Saw this RIT video
http://www.kcmo.org/fire.nsf/web/training?opendocument

Scroll down to the bottom and click the L.A.S.T. video.

Michael

[LtBlondie]

That was great!! Thank You

[dave5171]

We are looking at upgrading our airpacks with a new RIT connection available from Scott. This is a quick connect that will connect directly into your airline. Procedure to connect is quick and easy.

LTPVFD[/QUOTE]


The new Viking EXL SCBA have this same feature. I know this because this is what we use. We also have a RIT at all house fires part of there equipment is a 1 hour bottle that hooks right into your airline in case of man down. I'm still fairly new to this department so I'm not sure on the training of the RIT I do hear that it is pretty intence. I personally can't wait to take it. I love training!