East Fork Fire And Paramedic Districts

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East Fork Fire AndParamedic Districts

• Rapid Intervention Teams
• SAVING OUR OWN
• PART 2

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Part Two Objectives...
After the presentation of Part Two, you will

• Understand the importance of training as it
  relates to a successful RIT rescue
• Understand the basic RIT procedures and tasks
• Identify the tools and equipment used by the RIT
• Pass Device identification - Video Presentation
• 2 person search - Video Presentation
• 4 person search - Video Presentation
• Understand the technique of air pack bottle
  change over - Video Presentation

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NFPA 1561 and 1500
Both NFPA 1561 and 1500 require fire departments
and incident managers to provide for the rescue
of individuals operating at emergency incidents.
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Rapid Intervention Teams...
To answer the requirements of NFPA 1561 and 1500,
the Rapid Intervention Team concept was developed
and formalized and is now one of the most
important aspects of our emergency response. One
or more Rapid Intervention Teams must be
assigned, based on the needs of the incident. At
a minimum, two firefighters must be assigned to
the team. Four firefighters are
desired. Appropriate protective gear and tools
must be provided to team members.
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Team Deployment...

• Lost /trapped/unaccounted for firefighters
• Flashover/Backdraft
• Rapid increase in fire
• Explosion
• Collapse
• Special Operations

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Team Requirements...

• Rapid Intervention Teams need to be assigned a
  common name in the response area or mutual or
  automatic aide areas
• RIT members should not be rookies or
  inexperienced firefighters. They should be
  experienced veteran firefighters with the ability
  to make a difference in a very stressful or
  dangerous situation. Think about who you would
  want to be coming in to rescue you.
• Team Members should have a wide variety of
  training /experience such as collapse rescue,
  rope/rigging, vehicle rescue tools and
  procedures, survival training, advanced and large
  are search procedures.
• The team must have a wide variety of rescue tools
  and equipment available for use on the fire
  ground.
• The team must work under a standard operating
  guide (SOG)
• The team must train on a regular basis as a team
• RIT officers must be thoroughly trained in ALL
  aspects of RIT.

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Primary Task...
The primary task of the Rapid Intervention Team
is to respond to any firefighter reported in
distress. Generally, there are two types of
distress situations 1. Caught in collapse 2.
Disoriented and lost in the structure
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Team Procedures...
Location On arrival, the RIT reports to the area
of the incident commander and remains in verbal
and visual contact with the IC at all times.
Response The RIT should respond as soon as a
working fire is reported. Several departments
with limited resources should have mutual or
automatic aid with other departments who could
serve in that capacity
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More Team Procedures...
Plan Ahead Remember, the teams job is to rescue
firefighters. Dont just stand around at the
command post waiting for a tragedy to occur.
HELP PREVENT ONE. Scan the fire ground for
potential rescue hazards such as Steel bars or
wire mesh over windows Signs of potential
building collapse Need for additional
equipment, ladders, etc..
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RIT Tools...
The members of the RIT should have access to a
variety of tools Flat Head Axe Sledge
Hammer Halligan Bar Pike Pole Probe
Stick Search/Rescue Rope Radios Handlights Cha
in Saw (Wood) Multipurpose Saw Spare
SCBA Remember, the key here is RAPID. Dont
overload the team with tools, but make sure they
are staged and available
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Additional Tools...
Some additional tools and equipment may
include Additional SCBA Air Bags Hydraulic
Tool Hand Tools Bars Pneumatic Tools Additional
Rope Stokes Rabbit Tool Cutting Torch Bolt
Cutters Lighting Equipment
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The Building Search Safety

• If the fire conditions are so advanced or the
  condition of the building is so poor that
  rescuers have a good chance of losing their
  lives, rescue should not be attempted. Under
  such conditions it is unlikely the victim would
  be alive
• When backdraft is possible, attempt entry only
  after ventilation is begun. Entry before proper
  ventilation could result in a backdraft
  explosion, often causing injury
• Always wear full protective gear
• Always work in pairs and keep in constant
  contact, remembering that each is responsible for
  the other
• Have a plan or objective. DO NOT WANDER AIMLESSLY
• Working systematically will reduce the
  possibility of disorientation

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The Stand-by Mode

• Upon arrival at the fire ground , position
  apparatus away from the immediate area
• Gather RIT tools and staging tarp, report to
  command post in full PPE and SCBA
• Set up tool staging area and gather additional
  equipment
• If the structure is multiple story and a ladder
  has not been placed, DO IT with EMERGENCY EXITING
  IN MIND
• Perform a walk around size up of the fire
  building noting exits and hazards.
• Report back to the tool staging area and BE READY
• Monitor communications

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RIT Search Procedure...

• Searching for a lost or trapped firefighter
  should not be confused with searching for a
  civilian fire victim
• You must remember to search with your ears, going
  for the activated PASS device. If you waste time
  searching in areas that do not have PASS device
  activation, the trapped or lost firefighters may
  succumb to their injuries or run out of air. The
  exception to this is the trapped firefighters who
  DO NOT activate their PASS devices.
• Having a four person search team may, at times,
  be a problem if not managed properly. The team
  could possibly get in each others way during the
  search. Do not commit all 4 team members to a
  room for a search. The team leader and one
  member (anchor) should stage at the insertion
  point and manage the search rope and additional
  tools.

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Building Search Safety...

• If fire is encountered, closing a door will often
  contain the fire temporarily, allowing the search
  to continue
• Once the search in complete, search teams should
  promptly report to the office in charge
• To follow a hoseline from a building filled with
  smoke, feel the coupling. The male coupling will
  lead to the nozzle with the female coupling
  leading to towards escape
• Always use a lifeline or search rope. IT MAY SAVE
  YOUR LIFE AND THE LIFE OF THE DOWNED
  FIREFIGHTER(s)
• Always maintain a left or right hand search
  pattern. DO NOT change the pattern inside the
  building.
• Keep the same lead person. Changing the lead
  person inside the building could get you lost.
  Remember, the lead person leads and the search
  person searches. Do not mix the two.
• Always take in a tool or search probe
• Keep personal self-rescue equipment in your
  turnout gear, such as wire cutters, webbing
  strap, etc...

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Advanced Search Techniques...

• Remember, the lead person must not leave the
  wall. If you leave the wall to assist, you may
  very well become lost or disorientated. You can
  use a tool placed against your foot and pushed
  into the search wall as a temporary extension,
  but never leave the wall.
• Always use a search rope or lifeline. You may use
  a system of knots tied into the rope as a
  directional devices.
• For a large area search, use a tag line system
  for a quicker search with the leader becoming an
  interior anchor point
• New improvements in technology have give the fire
  service the edge in search and rescue. Thermal
  imaging cameras will save lives and quicken the
  search.

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Preparing The Firefighter For Removal...
After the team has completed their search and has
located the firefighter in distress, an
assessment of the victim must be completed.

• First, you must locate and shut off the
  firefighters PASS, if it has been activated
• Next, notify command that you have located the
  downed firefighter and give an approximate
  location
• If the firefighter is unconscious, place your ear
  next to his/her face piece exhalation valve to
  determine breathing
• Next, check the firefighters SCBA cylinder
  pressure gauge to determine the amount of air
  left in the cylinder
• If there is little or no air left in his/her
  SCBA, perform an emergency SCBA transfer or
  auxiliary airline connection. Use Buddy Breathing
  as a last option.

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More On Preparing The Firefighter For Removal

• Perform a survey using your hands to determine if
  there is possible entrapment or entanglement
• If the firefighter is not breathing, and is not
  trapped in anyway, you must perform a rapid
  removal using the closest exit or enlarged
  opening to increase his/her chances of survival
• Call for a protective hoseline to ensure the
  safety of the victim and team
• It is possible that the downed firefighters face
  piece could be dislodged or knocked off.
  Practice putting a face piece onto another
  firefighter in the event you would have to
  perform this duty

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More On Preparing The Firefighter For Removal

• Be prepared for the unexpected when performing
  the assessment or working around the downed
  firefighter. When a firefighter is trapped/lost
  and almost out of air, he/she will take drastic
  measures to keep breathing. This could include
  reaching out and pulling the rescuers face-piece
  off for breath of air. BE PREPARED!
• If you do not have an emergency SCBA pack or
  auxiliary line connection, be prepared to buddy
  breath with the downed firefighter. Remember,
  buddy breathing will drastically reduce your air
  supply and mobility. This will decrease your
  time inside the building to affect the rescue.
  Come in prepared the first time around. BRING IN
  AN AIR SUPPLY.
• If the area that you find the downed firefighter
  in is untenable, drag the downed firefighter to a
  safer area if possible

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Removal Procedures...

• Once the firefighter has been assessed and
  extricated if necessary, the method of removal
  must be determined. Removal begins with a drag
  or carry and ends when the firefighter is
  completely removed from the structure.
• The easiest way to drag a downed firefighter is
  to loosen the SCBA shoulder straps to serve as
  handles and to allow the RIT member to gain a
  better posture for the drag. The waste belt of
  the SCBA can be removed from the waist and
  reassembled around one leg and through the groin
  , converting the SCBA in to a retrieval harness.
• To carry a downed firefighters using a two -
  person carry, position one firefighter at the
  head and loosen both SCBA shoulder straps. Grad
  the straps and lift the firefighter from the
  floor. The second firefighter will straddle the
  legs of the downed firefighter and lift at the
  knees.

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More Removal Procedures...

• Rescue rope and the use of a split pulley can be
  of great assistance in some cases. Gaining a
  mechanical advantage will require the anchor
  position and the team leader to assist with the
  rescue from exit point.
• The downed firefighter can be removed using the
  push-pull technique and requiring two rescue
  persons
• A stokes stretched or basket may be used in place
  of drags and carries when possible

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The Emergency SCBA Pack...

• When firefighters become lost or trapped within a
  burning structure, their air supply will become
  depleted. It is of utmost importance to carry
  and transfer a full SCBA emergency pack to the
  trapped firefighter. Fire companies providing
  RIT must have these emergency packs available on
  the fire ground.
• You must know what type of SCBA the interior
  crews are working with. The emergency pack must
  be compatible with that of the trapped
  firefighter.
• RIT members must be trained in the proper
  techniques for emergency SCBA carry and
  transfer procedures.

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TIME FOR A BREAK...
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Practical Skills Exercises...
Following the video presentation Rapid
Intervention Teams - Part II, you will
participate in Practical Skills Exercises. They
will include the following skills demonstration
stations PASS Device Operation Victim SCBA
Change - Over SCBA Face Piece Donning Rescuer
-to- Victim SCBA Harness Conversion For
Removal One Person Drag Two Person
Carry Direction Orientation - Coupling Method
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East Fork Fire AndParamedic Districts

• Rapid Intervention Teams
• SAVING OUR OWN
• PART 3

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Practical Skills Exercises...
Following the video presentation Rapid
Intervention Teams - Part III, you will
participate in Practical Skills Exercises. They
will include the following skills demonstration
stations Air Bag Procedures Station - RIT Assist
-Team Exercise Entanglement Station - Self
Rescue Wall Breaching Station- Self Rescue SCBA
Unit Removal - Self Rescue Entanglement Station -
RIT Assist - Team Exercise Window Opening Removal
- RIT Assist - Team Exercise
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Air Bag Station
Preparation Practice with specific system
equipment operation in advance Check the air
source in advance to make sure it is full Set up
the system Connections should be made regulator
to controller and controller to air bags. Insure
adequate amounts of cribbing. Assign team members
to specific positions Team Leader ,Controller
Operator, Cribbing , Bag Placement
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Air Bag Station
Procedure Air bags can be used to lift beams,
debris, etc. Debris piles are different than
lifting a single object. Be sure you have
sufficient cribbing materials. Determine whether
its a one or two bag lift Dont put your hands
or any unnecessary weight on debris piles Build a
secure cribbing base, then lift. Secure cribbing
again and continue to lifting. Only lift a few
inches at a time. Decide upon clear operations
communications with the system controller Communic
ate with the victim Continue to check for
sufficient clearance in order to affect removal
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Interior Breaching Station
Preparation This technique is used to Reach a
trapped firefighter By a trapped firefighter to
save him/herself Carry a flat head axe or other
tool suitable for wall breaching
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Interior Breaching Station
Procedure Assess building materials Plaster
and lath, Drywall, Paneling, etc. Keep in mind
that there will usually be some kind of studding
arrangement with some distance, usually 16
between centers For lath, use a pick tool, drive
it into wall, and pull the tool towards you. For
drywall, chop with an ax blade, using short,
forearm swings. Be prepared for whats behind the
wall. You may encounter pipes, wire, insulation,
etc Once you have breached the wall, you are now
ready to proceed through the opening. Remember,
you may have to remove your SCBA.
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SCBA Removal...
Preparation In the event that a firefighter or
RIT has breached an interior wall, either to
reach a victim or to extricate him/herself,
he/she will then have to pass through that
opening.
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SCBA Removal...
Procedure This is done by the firefighter
removing the SCBA pack and leaving the face piece
intact, sliding it before him/her between the
studs and then following it through by rotating
the body to fit the opening. Check for solid
flooring on the other side of the breach before
proceeding . Loosen chest and shoulder
straps Remove the right side first. Most
regulators are on the left. Keep the regulator in
your left hand as you remove from the
right. Always keep your left arm through the
strap on that side once the pack is removed. The
strap will probably end up around your
wrist. With an SCBA with mask mounted regulators,
you might want to turn the air pack around to
shorten the length and reduce the pull on the air
hose from the mask to the cylinder.
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SCBA Removal...
Once you are through the breach, put the air pack
back on left to right, rebuckle and tighten.
There may be situations where a full removal may
not be necessary. Just do what every is
appropriate to get yourself through the breach.
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Entanglement Station - RIT Assist
Preparation Practice with gloves on and mask
blacked out. Have a pair of wire cutters
ready Procedure Do initial assessment start at
the victims feet and work up
Check to see if victim is breathing
Check
pressure in the victims SCBAUse wire cutters to
cut any tangles that cant be easily untied or
untangled DO NOT CUT HIGH PRESSURE SCBA TUBES OR
HOSES or the SCBA PACK STRAPS. BE SURE WHAT YOU
ARE CUTTING. FIND THE SOURCE ENDS Entanglements
from over head can often be lifted over the
victims head Check under SCBAs and around the
face masks - SOMETHING CAUGHT ON THE FACE PIECE
COULD PULL THE MASK FROM THE VICTIM