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QUICK DRILLS

Is your crew familiar with what tools & equipment rapid intervention requires?

Story & Photos by Homer Robertson

We’re only about a month or so away from having some nice weather that will support outdoor drills. But until then, this month’s drill is great for those cold and rainy days.

Rapid intervention team (RIT) training has made some huge strides in the last decade. Most firefighters love the hands-on aspect of RIT training because it’s action-oriented and based on real-life situations. Each drill is related to a skill that could make a life-or-death difference.

But just as important as training on how to find and rescue a downed firefighter is training on the front end of rapid intervention: size-up and equipment staging.

Standing By or Sizing Up?
Many fire companies don’t look forward to the RIT assignment because they feel like they’re not actively engaged in the fire suppression operation. As trainers, we must show that the RIT role is just as important as performing a search or going to the roof.

If your fire crews assigned the RIT responsibility are just showing up with their PPE, an axe and a pike pole, and then standing by the command post waiting on something to happen, it’s time to rethink your RIT training.

Our drills this month focus on tool staging and equipment familiarization, but we can’t get there without talking about the importance of size-up. A 360-degree RIT size-up will have a big impact on the types of tools prepositioned in the staging area.

Example: If during your size-up of a residential home you detect a set of burglar-barred windows and doors in the rear, you may need to preposition a rotary saw with a metal blade or other tool to defeat metal bars. If you find this type of fortification in one place, expect to find it somewhere else. Tip: Barred windows or doors should be removed or opened to prepare the building before a mayday event.


Proper Tools
Every department will deploy different RIT tools based on what they have in their tool cache. However, some basic tools and equipment that will need to be deployed at almost every structure fire include thermal imagers and breaking and prying tools like mauls and Halligans.

Whether you’re in a busy department that makes lots of fires each year or a slower department, you’ll likely only get a few chances each year to fill the RIT assignment. It’s hard to get good at something you only perform a few times a year.

Here’s a great idea from Chief Rick Lasky of the Lewisville (Texas) Fire Department: To help remember all the tools and equipment, use a tarp as a checklist.

Purchase a vinyl tarp that’s a different color than your salvage covers. Review your tool needs and cut stencils with the names of each tool. Stencil them on the tarp as a quick and easy checklist. Make a residential fire checklist on one side of the tarp and a commercial fire checklist on the other side.

During incidents, stage RIT equipment on the tarp in close proximity to the incident hot zone. The equipment on the RIT tarp should be off-limits to suppression crews operating at the incident.

Preparation Is Key
Preparing for a RIT operation should be performed with just as much care and consideration as advancing a handline to the seat of the fire. Take time to review and practice the steps needed to effectively develop a RIT tool staging area to support fireground operations.

Captain Homer Robertson has been involved in the fire service since 1978, starting as a volunteer with the Granbury (Texas) Fire Department, of which he is a life member. He has served the Fort Worth Fire Department since 1985 and is currently in charge of the fire equipment division, which includes the apparatus fleet.