Bouncing Ideas

[PghEMTmac]

Hey All,
I just wanted to ask what you all think of having predetermined jobs for your RIT or GO teams. Basically this is what I mean.

Rescue 1 - responsible for initial search for the downed victim.

Ladder 2- is responsible for outside breaching for victim removal.

Rescue 3 - is responsible for disentanglment of the victim.

Engine 4 - is responsible for removal of the victim from the building.

Yes, I know it requires more manpower when sometimes manpower is at a minimum. However. it could save time, and lives if everyone know their particular job going in.

Just a thought, tell me what you all think.

[570eck]

You answered your own question. Too many resources required. It would work in theory but it presents some flaws.
1. If I already have a victim I'm pulling them out. Don't wait for that next team, the person down is already in a bad spot get them out now.
2. If your using all these people for the rescue who is putting out your fire.
Don't mean to slam you idea, just the way I see it. Now giving individual members of the rit tasks that is something more workable.
1. Spare air and EMS of downed persons, person to be buddy thru event.
2. Tools and extrication, lead hands on person of extrication.
3. TIC and misc. tools, second person for extrication work.
4. Officer, rope person, team leader in charge of managing resources that might be needed thru event and in charge of directing extrication.
Just some ideas might not work for you but works for us.

[PghEMTmac]

The way I'm seeing it using the class taught by Pittsburgh Firefighters on the "Working Fire" RIT team videos this is a plan they hinted towards but didnt come right out and sya, hey this is a good idea. Thats basically why I put the idea out there.

As far as fighting the fire goes, operations and rescue operations should be running on different frequencies with different company assignments.

Where possible the RIT team should be running on its own frequency, with a Rescue division chief at the command post running the rescue ops.

[570eck]

You are right about the frequencies. The rit should be on the same channel as the team that went down and all other operating co.'s should swtich channels. As a rit you should be monitoring the interior freq prior to arrival and thru event. This will give you an idea of where team went, where they might have got lost/turned around, what floor they are on what they are seeing relative to what is going on. On a working scene rit needs to size up, set up and gear up. Do your outside eval, find out if there are varying levels or maybe this building is too big for one team, look for bars on windows and get rid of them after size up find what will impeed exiting teams and try to get rid of it. Some people beleive as a rit you show up and stay in a cool place waiting for something to go wrong, but by eliminating the hazards early you might be able to prevent a need for the rit. Next get all equipment that you feel you might need for a task, tools, ladders, saws and ropes. Now you can stand by but the whole time keep an ear to the radio.

[MidwayChief2]

Good Day All,
First off, yes I am the culprit that suggests assigning tasks to RIT teams. Either individually or as a team. In my opinion, if designated assignments are not made right off the bat, the firefighter rescue will undoubtebly go down the tubes quickly. I have lived through a multiple firefighter fatality fire and I assure you that it does not go smoothly. The more assignments that are pre-determined, the less confusion during the RIT operation. Before the "Mayday", the RIT team leader must pre-assign duties to his/her team members, then number their people to ease the communications and accountabilty on the interior, ie. Team leader is always #1, then the other members are numbered accordingly #2-#3-#4, etc. This way right before entry the team leader can yell out "RIT team one PAR,number 1" now his team members should yell out "number 2", "number 3", etc. Same goes on the interior of the structure if the team leader wants a quick PAR from his team members. This also makes it easier when assigning tasks on the interior with limited or no visibilty. It's easier and more productive for the team leader to yell out, "number 2, start the assessment" - "number 3, breach the side 4 wall", etc. I have found numerous problems with using names such as, two first names being the same, misunderstood last names, not knowing someones name, etc. It usually doesnt matter to me WHO is doing the task, just that it is assigned and carried out. As far as pre-assigning entire teams to specific duties, it really depends on your situation. I know of RIT organizations (ABBET-RIT) that put 8 to 16 certified RIT members on the scene at every structure fire. They CAN do whatever they feel they want to do with that many team members and I applaud them,(and train them...) Even organizations that don't have all of those resources immediately available to them can pre-assign jobs. You just have to start setting those procedures up NOW, before the RIT response. Get with your mutual aid departments and work these policies out before you need them. I teach RIT all over the country and I have seen just about every RIT operation there is to be had, trust me, you can do whatever you want to do if you really believe in it and muster the support from the firefighters that care. Strength is in numbers my friends, especially in setting up a Rapid Intervention program. There are still quite a few Chief Officers, (and firefighters), out there that could care less about RIT, and this is tragic. I have turned alot of them around with my hands on program, but there are still some that just can't be bought. All I can say is until they have pulled one of your own from a worthless building they will continue to not care and be a burden to the rest of us that believe in RIT. RIT operations, and more specifically firefighter entrapment, will require a tremendous amount of TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED firefighters. Trust me. If you don't believe me, take my RICE course and I will humble you. As always, I am here for you guys. I have promised to make good of my hands on experience with firefighter death. It is truely something that you never want to experience. If I can help anyone out with RIT please drop me an email or call my toll free number 1-866-UGoWeGo. Also my new RIT website will be up in about 3 weeks. I will have monthly RIT training and drills on it for everyone to share. The URL is WWW.RAPIDINTERVENTION.COM

Jim Crawford
Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire
Firehouse Magazine Contributing Editor

[ladderjunkieco5]

If y'all don't mind, I'd like to side with Crawford. Only for the fact that in my small department, always strapped for personnel when we do have a worker, the lack of daily or weekly fire experience coupled with the high turnover rate means confusion on a routine fire.
Assigned to the Truck a few years ago, I found that by following Mittendorf's suggestions on seat assignments, a rapid improvement in efficiency on scene developed. Any way you can guide these small departments to use their manpower to the maximum is a helping hand.
However! I haven't been part of a large department in 6 years, and I consider my experience in assigning RIT team functions to be theoretical at best. We have yet to have need of ours and interesting young adrenaline junkies in giving up nozzle time isn't easy anyway.

Thanks for chance to comment.,
Capt. Truck 5