WAKE FOREST FIRE DEPARTMENT

STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE200-04

STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE
Wake Forest Fire Department Inc.
Subject / Number / Rev / Effective Date / Page / Of
RAPID INTERVENTION TEAM / 200-04 / 02/15/2011 / 1 / 5
Supersedes / Prepared By / Approved By
/ 12/01/2009 / Waylon Holbrook / Alfred E. Lynn
Assistant Chief / Chief

Rapid Intervention TeamsPage 1 of 5

WAKE FOREST FIRE DEPARTMENT

STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE200-04

  1. PURPOSE:

The purpose of this procedure is to comply with 29 CFR 1910.134 “Respiratory Protection”, mandating a minimum of two (2) persons on standby for responders operating in atmospheres that could be Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH).

  1. SCOPE:

This policy is applicable to all members of the Wake Forest Fire Department (WFFD), career and volunteer.

  1. DEFINITIONS:
  2. Accountability Officer – A Driver Operator (D/O), Incident Commander (IC), ordesignee responsible for tracking and accounting for all personnel at the incident.
  3. Distressed – For clarity, “distressed” shall be defined as personnel who: have not responded to a Personnel Accountability Report (PAR), are disoriented, trapped, pinned or suffering from any sudden medical/physical condition, equipment malfunction or failure, out of air or for any other reason have activated their personal alert safety system (PASS) device within an atmosphere deemed immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH).
  4. Hazardous Area – Any location(s) that may pose a safety and/or health risk to firefighters due to, but not limited to, the presence of products of combustion, hazardous or otherwise oxygen deficient or oxygen enriched atmosphere or the potential for any IDLH atmosphere, hazardous equipment or operations or the potential for any of these situations to exist. Additionally, any area or location that predisposes a firefighter to become lost, disoriented or trapped, including any confined space and wild land areas shall be considered a hazardous area.
  5. Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) – An environment that poses a threat of exposure to airborne contaminants when that exposure is likely to cause death or immediate or delayed permanent adverse health effects or prevent escape from such an environment.
  6. Personnel Accountability Report (PAR) – The results of a roll call which accounts for all personnel on the emergency scene.
  7. Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) - Personnel on standby to initiate rescue operations in the event that a firefighter(s) is in distress.
  8. PROCEDURE:
  9. General
  10. The 3rdarriving engine company to the incident scene shall assume the duties of the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) which shall be communicated on the assigned Talkgroup (e.g., “Engine 1 on scene, E1 establishing RIT Group in Division Alpha.”)
  11. The RIT shall be fully outfitted, as follows:
  12. Full PPE
  13. Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
  14. Flashlight
  15. Radio (minimum of one (1) radio per two-person team)
  16. The RIT shall closely monitor all on-scene radio traffic. One RIT Group member shall be assigned to monitor the “FD Emergency” Talkgroup.
  17. The RIT shall not be assigned to any other task or function during the incident. The RIT shall be on standby to initiate rescue operations in the event that firefighter(s) are reported to be in distress and shall then be deployed under the direction of the Incident Commander (IC).
  18. At multiple alarms, one or more companies may be assigned the functions of RIT(s) and given the designation of "RIT Group".
  19. Company Officers and/or the Accountability Officer shall immediately report any distressed firefighter(s) to the IC.
  20. When deployed, the RIT will continue the search and rescue operations until the distressed firefighter(s) are located and removed, the RIT is relieved, or the RIT is ordered to abandon the operation.
  21. Responsibilities of the RIT Officer
  22. Determine where the RIT is to stage.
  23. The RIT Officer shall report directly to the IC to obtain an incident status report, to include those issues detailed in Section 4.2.3(b).
  24. The RIT Officer shall conduct a very thorough, overall size-up of the incident. This size-up is more comprehensive than the size-up conducted by companies assigned a specific task. The RIT Officer size-up must encompass the overall incident while observing the following:

a.The type of building construction and its features:

(1)Wood, steel, concrete, brick or block

(2)Truss type; lightweight wood, metal, heavy timber

(3)Identify collapse-prone areas, check for signs of collapse, and determine whether collapse zones are being honored

(4)Obtain the building Pre-Incident Survey

b.The extent of the fire (obtained from briefing with IC):

(1)The location of the fire within hazard area

(2)Estimated time the fire has been burning

(3)The current conditions of the fire and smoke behavior

(4)The progress of extinguishment

(5)The operational mode (offensive or defensive)

(6)Total fire flow into structure

c.The means of egress for the interior operating companies:

(1)Ensure the building is laddered on each floor to establish alternateroutes of egress for companies operating in the hazard area

(2)Ensure entry/exit ways are free from obstructions

(3)Identify special hazards (e.g., exposed lower levels, basements and/or cellars with no means of egress) that could create a life safety issue(s)

(4)Identify types of doors and windows, including the presence of any special security devices (e.g., window bars, gates, locks)

4.2.4.The RIT Officer shall meet with RIT personnel and brief them on the information gathered during the RIT size-up and evaluation.

4.3.Responsibilities of the RIT personnel

4.3.1.Responsibilities for RIT personnel shall include the collecting of tools and equipment while the RIT Officer is conducting the initial evaluation and size-up.

4.3.2.Each RIT company shall assemble the following equipment in the RIT staging area.

  1. A minimum of one (1) radio for each two-person team
  2. RIT pack or spare SCBA
  3. Forcible entry tools (e.g., Halligan bar, flat head axe, Rabbit Tool)
  4. Power saws
  5. Ladders (as needed for the building)
  6. Search rope bag
  7. Thermal Imaging Camera
  8. Any other equipment as deemed necessary by the RIT Officer
  9. The RIT(s) shall secure a hose line that can be committed to RIT operations.
  1. Upon the report of a distressed firefighter(s) the IC shall:
  2. Adjust on-scene strategies to a priority search-and-rescue effort.
  3. Deploy the RIT to the last reported working area of the distressed firefighter(s).
  4. Initiate an immediate PAR of all companies assigned to duty in the hazard area.
  5. If a fire is in the search area, back-up teams with charged hoseline shall be deployed to follow the RIT into the structure.
  6. Request the next greater assignment or alarm (e.g., first alarm goes to a second alarm, or a second alarm goes to a third alarm).
  7. Establish an additional RIT.
  8. Instruct all existing companies/crews operating within the structure to continue with their assigned tasks or reassigned them to the rescue efforts.
  9. RIT operations shall be given radio priority, on the primary on-scene Talkgroup. At the discretion of the IC, all other scene radio communications should be moved to another Talkgroup.
  10. RIT Action Plan
  11. The RIT primary assignment is to locate the distressed firefighter(s), assess their situation, condition, needs and remove them from the hazardous area.
  12. RIT members must protect against becoming victims themselves by staying calm, staying in assigned search teams and by monitoring their own air supply.
  13. The RIT should begin the search at the last known reported working area of the distressed firefighter(s). This search must be thorough and systematic, using all methods (e.g. voice, radio, tapping sounds) to initiate contact with the distressed firefighter(s) to rapidly obtain their location.
  14. When RIT reaches a distressed firefighter:

a.Check the distressed firefighter(s) air level and prepare the conversion pack

b.Secure the distressed firefighter(s) PASS to facilitate communications

c.Perform the following assessment and relay that information to the IC:

  • Location
  • A – air
  • W – water if needed
  • A –a radio
  • R – resources needed
  • E - extricate

d. Consider any ventilation options to improve heat/smoke conditions

e.Use the most expedient method to remove any distressed firefighter(s) from the hazard area (e.g. closest window, breaching walls)

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