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09-02-00 RIT Call...
Last evening @ 2030hrs, our department was dispatched for RIT to a mutual aid area for a confirmed structure fire. Arrived to find heavy fire venting from Side 1 and Side 4. As our RIT officer reported to the command post, we set up our RIT area. My partner and I then walked around the building and sized up the incident. On side 3 of the structure was 2 garage doors that were closed and locked. No doorways or windows in this area, with the exception of the second floor window. All information was relayed to the OIC and the OIC requested the garage doors opened. I relayed this to our RIT officer who in return sent an additional 2 RIT members and a K12. We made our opening, then reported back to the RIT post.
Being on the RIT Team, and noticing the chances of collapse on Side 1 and Side 4, we as the RIT deemed it necessary to have the opening's on side 3 not only from our aspect "Rescue", but for the suppresion lines as well. When the garage doors were opened up, there were 2 cars with fire becoming visible rolling across the ceiling. Suppression lines then took control of this area.
Reason for this post is this... On numerous occasions I have read under the RIT forums about when RIT's should actually do different jobs on the fire scene.
RIT...Meaning Rapid should be the key word. If a firefighter would have gotten trapped, we would have wasted valuable time without doing the sizeup, and realizing that the garage doors were locked. Once the doors were opened, we had a direct entry-exit point and if a MAYDAY would have sounded, we could have grabbed our equipment and been there without the extra time constraints of enlarging the opening.
The roof and second floor did collapse, and no firefighters were reported as trapped or disoriented, therefore the RIT did nothing more than make an enlarged opening on Side 3.
One thing I forgot to mention, which was a mistake on our part. We forgot our Thermal Camera at the station!!! It goes on our Engine, or Rescue, therefore we can not designate it to 1 piece of equipment, so it sits under our big screen TV in the station.
Anyone Have $20,000 to give us for a second camera. : )
Take Care and Be Safe
------------------
John Williams
NRFF1/EMT
Clairton Fire Dept
Being on the RIT Team, and noticing the chances of collapse on Side 1 and Side 4, we as the RIT deemed it necessary to have the opening's on side 3 not only from our aspect "Rescue", but for the suppresion lines as well. When the garage doors were opened up, there were 2 cars with fire becoming visible rolling across the ceiling. Suppression lines then took control of this area.
Reason for this post is this... On numerous occasions I have read under the RIT forums about when RIT's should actually do different jobs on the fire scene.
RIT...Meaning Rapid should be the key word. If a firefighter would have gotten trapped, we would have wasted valuable time without doing the sizeup, and realizing that the garage doors were locked. Once the doors were opened, we had a direct entry-exit point and if a MAYDAY would have sounded, we could have grabbed our equipment and been there without the extra time constraints of enlarging the opening.
The roof and second floor did collapse, and no firefighters were reported as trapped or disoriented, therefore the RIT did nothing more than make an enlarged opening on Side 3.
One thing I forgot to mention, which was a mistake on our part. We forgot our Thermal Camera at the station!!! It goes on our Engine, or Rescue, therefore we can not designate it to 1 piece of equipment, so it sits under our big screen TV in the station.
Anyone Have $20,000 to give us for a second camera. : )
Take Care and Be Safe
------------------
John Williams
NRFF1/EMT
Clairton Fire Dept
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