RIT, FAST, RIC or whatever

[MAYTAG]

One of the other items the Std's Comm is working on is a Standard for RIT, FAST or RIC teams.

Please post your thoughts.

[MAYTAG]

66 people have viewed and not ONE SINGLE comment, that is scary and disturbing folks !!!

[Brian McCaffrey]

I'm number 71 to view it and I'll at least make a comment.

My initial thought would be to have something like your second special service (truck, rescue, etc) or the 3rd or 4th engine automatically set up for RIT (or whatever the hell it's called this month).

Having your "RIT" piece come from 10-15 minutes away is BS. I would expand on this, but the tones just dropped, so it will have to wait.

Caff

Edited to add: My reasoning for the 2nd special or 3rd engine is simply this: You have two engines set up on scene, Side A or A/B corner and Side C or C/D corner. Third engine can then be utilized as RIT if not needed for water supply. First truck is set up on Side A, 2nd special can be utilized for RIT.

Is it just me or is this common sense? How can you justify a RIT team specially dispatched from a mutual aid company that is 10-15 minutes away? RIT still stands for RAPID Intervention Team, correct?

[ff25]

I agree with second special service or 3rd due engine some surrounding counties already have 3rd due engine doing RIT function

[Safety 3]

I’m not sure that the RIT concept should focus so much on the piece of apparatus assigned to the function, as ANYONE (my own department included) can show up with an engine full of people who just should not be on a RIT crew.

First, we should consider minimum training for RIT personnel. But since the State can’t establish a good minimum standard for FIREFIGHTER training, it’ll be tough to establish a standard for the guys who are supposed to go in and rescue them.

Second, we should consider the equipment needed for RIT. RIT personnel should be very familiar with their equipment (RIT packs, etc.). I pretty sure that there isn’t a RIT bag, FAST air bag, rotary saw, etc. on every engine in this county. I’m sure that whoever is assigned to the RIT function could pick up some equipment form a unit already on the scene, but will they be familiar with it?

Finally, I must agree with Caff. RIT should be rapid, and arrive within the first minutes of the incident. There is that whole two-in/two-out thing. Some argue that the back-up line serves at the initial RIT. I’m open for suggestions. I just don’t want us to end up like some of those counties down south who don’t do anything on a working fire without first having a written action plan, all first alarm apparatus on scene, RIT in place, media area cordoned off (we must look good for the cameras while we burn it down), and oops, I almost forgot.……the coffee wagon.

AFC 15

[Brian McCaffrey]

Very good point about the engine crews, Cleckie. I guess I should have worded my answer a bit better. I don't think a hard and fast rule of "3rd engine or 2nd special" would be a very good idea. I basically meant the first piece "not otherwise assigned".

With the differences in population, topography, geography and any other "-graphies" we can think of in this county, it is going to be very difficult to enforce one standard like this, much like your post in the WFD thread. We can however, standardize equipment and training. If a particular company (or two, or three) cannot afford the equipment, they need to train with mutual aid companies who can. Then, they could be familiar with the gear on other's rigs.

Although the only place I need to be anymore is at the pump panel, my heart is with the RIT concept and I personally think it is one of, if not the, most important aspects of training these days.

[ff25]

I agree not all engines carry all the RIT equipment needed,however I do believe they could use it off a special service piece. I think the key factor is to know the departments you normally run with and train together on RIT. I think we determined this function should be assigned ASAP but training and experience of personnel are problems that will need some work. You could possibly have to assign 2 units depending on staffing.


Mark Dale

[MAYTAG]

Some really good comments, so please keep them coming.

I will copy all of them prior to next weeks meeting. But I would ask that all committee members and anyone else interested in helping show up.

It's 11-15-05, 1900 at Co 17.

[fire3]

I AGREE WITH ALL THE COMMETS BUT I AM WRITING THIS ONE BACK TO CAFF. TRIANING WITH MUT AID DEPTS IS ESSENTIAL ANYMORE. ONE DEPT SIMPLY CANNOT HANDLE THE LOAD ANYMORE, AT LEAST IN THIS COUNTY. BUT MY WORRY IS THIS, ALOT OF DEPTS WON'T TRAIN WITH MUT AID DEPTS BECAUSE THEY AREN'T ON SOME OF THE OTHER DEPTS BOXES. THE OL YOU RUN AND I'LL RUN YOU STILL EXISTS ON ALOT OF BOXES. SO IF SAY C0-76 RUNS MUT AID WITH CO-86 BUT CO-86 DOESN'T RUN WITH CO-76 THEN CO-76 GETS MAD AND WON'T TRAIN UNTIL THEY ARE PUT ON MORE BOXES. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT A WFD WIL WORK, BUT RIT HAS TO WORK WITHIN THE COMMAND SYSTEM AND THE INITIAL SET UP OF A BOX. LIKE ALOT OF OTHER COMMENTS STATED, "RAPID" WOULD BE THE KEYWORD. WAITING UNTIL A WF IS DECLARED AND THEN A DISPATCH IS CONSIDERED A "DELAY". JUST AS MUCH CAN GO WRONG 5 MINS INTO IT AS IT CAN 20 MINS INTO IT. BELIEVE ME, I WOULDN'T WISH ANYONE TO HAVE TO RESCUE Y FAT REAR IF GOD FORBID THE WORST DOES HAPPEN, BUT IF IT DOES, AT LEAST THERE WOULD BE PEOPLE COMING ON THE INITIAL INSTEAD OF 10 MINS INTO IT AND THEN ANOTHER 10 MINS TO GET TO THE SCENE. THE PART ABOUT THE EQUIPMENT AND TRINED PERSONEL I AGREE WITH. AGAIN IT IS THE SET UP OF RIT ON THE BOXES AND FOR DISPATCHES THAT I DON'T AGREE WITH. TAG, I WUOULD LOVE TO BE THERE, HOWEVER SECOND SHIFT BECONS ME. I AM SUPPOSED TO BE A REP FROM DES AS WELL BUT THAT ALL CHANGED WHEN I WENT TO SECOND SHIFT. SO TAKE MY COMMENTS AND DO WHAT IS NEEDED. KEEP ME POSTED THOUGH. IF YOU NEED AY INPUT FROM THE DISPATCHER SIDE OF IT, LET ME KNOW.


"THANKS FOR YOUR TIME"!!!

[Brian McCaffrey]

fire3,

First off, as Tag would say, "Can I get an AMEN?" Secondly, did ya have to yell? I had to read your reply a second time cuz of the caps lock, but it's ok.

I agree wholeheartedly with the issue of training with mutual aid departments. It is a sad fact that buddy boxes even exist in this day and age, much less flourish as they do. Unfortunately, we have to deal with the "Good Ol' Boy" system until someone makes a stand and does something about it. Usually, when I bring up this subject, I can have everyone in the room agreeing with me right up to the point I say we need to do something about it. My, how the room clears then.

Now, I'm not nearly as old as Tag (I'm not quite ready for AARP just yet, ;D ) but I've experienced my share of the "Good Ol' Boy" officers and the younger guys are coming up with the same attitude, following in the footsteps of those that taught them. This is off-topic, so I'll start another thread in a day or so slamming, I mean, discussing this subject.

Back to the topic at hand...departments MUST set aside politics and work with each other, regardless of attitudes. I think the FCFCA and this Standards Committee is a very good start, but everyone needs to do this. We need to put our respective communities first and set aside our differences.

"Can't we all just get along?"

Caff

[fire3]

CAFF,

SORRY ABOUT YELLING! MY REPLY? AMEN!!!!



"THANKS FOR YOUR TIME"

[MAYTAG]

First Draft of the RIT Standard.
_____________________________________________

General Operational Guideline - #
RAPID INTERVENTION TEAMS
Adopted: Due for Review: Effective:
………………………………………………………………………………………………

PURPOSE:

To provide an operations guideline for the use of a Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). This guideline has been established in accordance to NFPA 1500, Chapter 3 and Chapter 8.

A RIT Team is established on the incident scene for the primary purpose of being readily available to initiate and affect the rescue of a downed, trapped, lost or disoriented firefighter.

PROCEDURES:

A RIT Team should be dispatched and assembled whenever emergency services personnel are operating in an IDLH environment such as, but not limited to structure fires, collapse incidents, specialized rescue incidents, Haz-Mat incidents, etc and shall remain in place while crews are working in any IDLH environment or unit such time as the Incident Commander deems necessary.
_____________________________________________

The Committee met on November 15, 2005 and this is the result of that meeting.

After a lengthy discussion, it was agreed that the Association lacks the authority to dictate minimum training requirements, so there is no sense in wasting time even considering training issues. Hell we can't even get departments to train together on basic firefighting items and the state doesn't even have the authority to implement minimum training requirements to ride fire apparatus, so it's a moot point.

Equipment issues fall into the same category.

It was the feeling of the committee that RIT should be established immediately by the IC, such as assigning it to the 3rd or 4th due engine, 1st special service or however the 1st due department decides.

The above RIT standard would be come into effect with the Working Fire Dispatch and would supplement the initial RIT Team established by the IC.

So let's here your comments and just remember, we're always looking for some assistance with committee work.

[Brian McCaffrey]

"It is what it is and that is all that it can be."

You basically summed up our opinions in your post, Tag. Anything is better than a RIT team with a 10 minute response time. Without a state mandate on training requirements, it is going to be damned near impossible to get some companies off their asses, but that isn't your problem.

I think that this is a good start, but the only way to get companies up to snuff is going to be good ol' politics, as much as I hate to say it. Get some of these good ol' boys up off their collective asses and GIT UR DONE!

[MAYTAG]

The RIT Standard as drafted 11-21-05 and presented at the December 05 meeting was approved unanamously at last nights Chiefs meeting.

There was no effective date placed in it until such time as we can meet and review this and the proposed bax card layout changes with DES.