The Rapid Intervention Crew

This evenings discussion will include the following subjects: Review of the 2010 on duty Firefighter deaths in the U.S. A review of the MAYDAY The RIC duties leading up to deployment A review of a prominent RIC study on finding and removing the downed firefighter Training that should be required to be successful at a RIC deployment Example SOG, SOP, General Orders (GO’s) or Best Practice for your department Review carries & drags for removing the downed firefighter The Rapid Intervention Crew

In 2010, a total of 72 on-duty firefighter deaths occurred in the U.S. Of the 72 firefighters who died while on duty, 44 were volunteer firefighters, 25 were career firefighters, 2 were employees of state land management agencies, and 1 was a member of a prison inmate crew. Twenty one deaths occurred while firefighters were operating on the fire ground. Fourteen of the 21 fire ground deaths occurred at 12 structure fires. Saving Our Own The Rapid Intervention Crew

The Rapid Intervention Crew The average number of career firefighter deaths on the fire ground over the past 10 years is 12 deaths per year, while the average for volunteer firefighters is 16 deaths per year. Eighteen firefighters died while responding to or returning from emergency calls. All 18 victims were volunteer firefighters.

The Rapid Intervention Crew According to the NFPA, smoke inhalation is responsible for up to 80% of the more than 4,000 fire related deaths and more than 18,000 civilian and firefighter injuries that occur annually in the US. These statistics indicate the US is one of the worst places to live in terms of fire related death and injury.

Rapid Intervention has been given different names but they all operate very similar during deployment: The Rapid Intervention Crew IRIC Initial Rapid Intervention Crew (2 in 2 out rule) RIC Rapid Intervention Crew (Term used by the NFPA and NIMS) RIT Rapid Intervention Team FAST Firefighter Assist and Search (or Safety) Team (Started by the FDNY) IRT Immediate Response Team RAT Rescue Assist Team FRAT Firefighter Rescue Available Team RDU Rapid Deployment Unit RICO Rapid intervention company operations RRT Rapid Response Team GO Team FAT Firefighter Assist Team (not widely used)

What is the RIC The primary purpose and duty for one or more RIC's being deployed on the fire ground should be to provide a dedicated and specialized team of fire fighters (a minimum of at least 4 per crew) ready to rescue fire fighters who become lost, trapped, injured, disoriented, have a medical problem, or any other reason for immediate rescue or other assistance. The Rapid Intervention Crew The RIC must be adequately staffed, well trained, properly equipped, and under the direction of a competent leader. The list on the next slide contains information pertaining to the successful deployment of the RIC

NFPA 1407: Standard for Training Fire Service Rapid Intervention Crews NFPA 1404: Standard for Fire Service Respiratory Protection Training NFPA 1500: Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program NFPA 1521: Standard for Fire Department Safety Officer NFPA 1561 Standard on Emergency Services Incident Management System NFPA 1710: Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments NFPA 1720: Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments OSHA Standard 29CFR1910, Occupational Safety and Health Standards, Subpart: I, Subpart Title: Personal Protective Equipment. OSHA Standard 29CFR1910, Occupational Safety and Health Standards, Subpart: L, Subpart Title: Fire Protection. SOP's, SOG's, General Orders (GO’s) and Best Practices for your specific department The Rapid Intervention Crew

These document's are available for viewing or downloading RIC training is now covered by the NFPA 1407 standard which explains how we should train and what procedures we need to be proficient in, to be deployed as a member of the RIC. I have a sample document that can be customized for your department, and will lay out a successful RIC training program, and a sample document that can be used as a SOP, SOG or Best Practice. The Rapid Intervention Crew This Special Report from the U. S. Fire Administration represents ideas, insights, and information from numerous fire service representatives about firefighter rescue. Eighty-three departments contributed information on how they approach rescuing a downed firefighter. Many of these departments sent detailed policies and procedures regarding their operations, enclosing some examples of when a Rapid Intervention Team was mobilized. The Rules of Engagement Project was developed to increase firefighter survival and hopefully not have to deploy the Rapid Intervention Crew This document, "Rules of Engagement for Structure Firefighting" was developed by the Safety, Health and Survival Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

These document's are available for viewing or downloading Here is another document Understanding Rapid Intervention . Very good information for training and understanding the operations of the Rapid Intervention Crew. The Rapid Intervention Crew (NIOSH ALERT) Preventing Deaths and Injuries of Fire Fighters When Fighting Fires in Unoccupied Structures. This report has good information to help firefighters as much as possible remain safe when involved in an incident occurring in an unoccupied structure. A great deal of this information can also be used when dealing with occupied structure fires. If we follow most basic firefighting related information, training, safety polices and procedures one would hope to see a decrease in the deployment of the RIC and a decline in firefighter deaths. “Surviving the Fireground.”A training aid released for the 2011 Safety Week from FDNY & IAFC. It will cover: Preventing The MAYDAY / Being Ready For The MAYDAY / Self-Survival / Firefighter Expectations Of Command A Training Manual from the FDNY IRIC AND RIC OPERATIONS will cover most aspects needed by the RIC.

The Rapid Intervention Crew These document's are available for viewing or downloading "Moving The Downed Firefighter" This document will help you train on various method's of removal for a downed firefighter.

Too many times firefighter injuries and death occur in all types of structures and situations that are avoidable if we apply a different mindset we are all familiar with: • We will risk our lives a LOT, in a calculated manner, to save SAVABLE LIVES. • We will risk our lives a LITTLE, in a calculated manner, to save SAVABLE property. • We WILL NOT risk our lives at all for a building or lives that are already lost. • We really need to start listening to what we are saying. The Rapid Intervention Crew

Here is a PowerPoint Presentation that will review the MAYDAY call that sets the RIC in motion. The Rapid Intervention Crew

RISK MANAGEMENT The Rapid Intervention Crew Risk management shall be utilized by the RIC, IC and the ISO when formulating the RIC Incident Action Plan. The objective is to rescue and/or assist to safety any firefighter or firefighters that are in need of assistance, provided said assistance can be rendered to those presumed not to have passed on. All members of the RIC need to continually address the Risk Management objective and discuss the objective among the members of the team.

The Rapid Intervention Crew RIC INCIDENT ACTION PLAN: On arrival, the RIC officer should report to the IC. The IC, in conjunction with the ISO and the RIC officer will develop a RIC incident action plan. The RIC incident action plan must be flexible and continually assessed. Realize that, as hard as it may be, the incident action plan may be to do nothing, depending on the severity of the event.

NOTE: The Rapid Intervention Crew The accountability of the RIC members must be maintained. This means that we all work as a team. Remember, we enter as a team and we exit as a team.

The Rapid Intervention Crew The IC should appoint a command officer to oversee the RIC operations and the ISO should appoint a Safety Officer specifically for RIC operations. As the RIC officer performs the 360deg. size-up, one of the members should be given the job of monitoring the working incident frequency, noting where firefighters are actually being deployed and listening for a MAYDAY call. The remaining RIC members should gather tools and place them on a tarp.

Each incident will influence your selection of equipment. The list below provides some suggestions: • RIT Tarp for tool placement • Salvage tarp (possible use for a blanket carry) • RIT Rope Rescue bag (Through the floor/window & ladder scenario) • Search Rope 200-ft. Team Search, Kevlar rope with tag lines and carabineers • Complete SCBA with mask • Extra SCBA mask • SCBA spare bottles 2 • TIC • Hand Lights • Halligan bar • Irons (Flat-Head Axe/Halligan) • Pick head axe • Sledge hammer • Pry bar • Short pike poles or closet hook • Defibrillator • Cribbing Kit • Lighting • Cord Reel • Water Extinguisher • Dry Chemical Extinguisher • Stokes basket • Backboard • Hand saws The Rapid Intervention Crew • Sawsall • K-12 Chain Saw (wood cutting blade) • Attic Ladder • Sump Pump (cellar rescue) • Hand Line • Extrication equipment • Cutting Torch

All members should be discussing and taking mental notes of the building's entrance and exit points, windows, type of construction and floor layout. Knowledge of where one can enter and exit the building may save you valuable time getting to the downed fire fighter and performing a successful removal. The Rapid Intervention Crew As the incident progresses the RIC should assign one of the members to complete a 360deg. size-up at 10 minute intervals. This will keep the entire team informed of any changes on the fire ground or with the structure itself. The first RIC to be deployed should enter with a limited amount of tools. Their immediate objective should be to locate, evaluate, and stabilize the downed firefighter. Secondary teams can be used to shuttle tools as the incident unfolds. When the first RIC deploys for an incident, the IC or ISO should make sure there is a second RIC in place, always keeping a fresh RIC ready to deploy. If you are involved with a large incident that has multiple entrances and exits the IC or ISO should have multiple RIC's stage at various locations around the incident.

The Rapid Intervention Crew RADIO COMMUNICATIONS The RIC will be assigned the radio designation "RIC 1". When multiple RIC's are assigned, designators will be RIC 2, RIC 3, etc. The Fire Dispatcher shall activate an "emergency traffic tone" whenever a RIC is deployed on a rescue assignment unless already transmitted with the Mayday. The Fire Dispatcher shall request all firefighting operations to switch to an alternate channel and continue firefighting operations. Please keep all your radio communications as short as possible. Remember someone my need to transmit a MAYDAY.

The Rapid Intervention Crew TERMINATING THE RIC After the IC and the ISO have thoroughly evaluated the situation and have determined that the operation no longer presents hazardous risks to personnel necessitating the need for a RIC, the IC or the ISO may suspend the operations of the RIC. The IC or the ISO shall have the Fire Dispatcher advise over the radio that the RIC is being terminated, so that all personnel on the fire ground are aware of this. Also remember that in some instances it would be advisable to keep the RIC in place even while overhaul is taking place. Remember what can go wrong will go wrong and Murphy's law should always be RESPECTED.

Rapid Intervention is never rapid. The Rapid Intervention Crew Both the Phoenix and Seattle Fire Departments have carried out extensive studies on rescuing a downed firefighter and have concluded that it will most likely take 11 or 12 firefighters approximately 7 minutes to reach a downed firefighter and an additional 18 to 21 minutes to perform an extrication of a trapped firefighter. It will take a dozen (12) firefighters on the scene, organized into teams, to rapidly complete a firefighter rescue. All fire departments should have procedures in place to ensure this staffing level is on scene and available during working incidents. If more than one firefighter is lost in the building, additional resources must be immediately available. Rapid intervention teams must be closely coordinated and well-organized to be effective and safe. Rapid intervention search and rescue is a high risk operation. As noted in the Phoenix research, 20% of the rescuers got themselves in trouble and became potential victims. The times obtained in these studies were not under heat and smoke conditions as may be experienced in a real incident.

The Rapid Intervention Crew Training is an essential component and extremely important for any firefighter that wishes to become a successful member of a Rapid Intervention Crew. Rapid Intervention is never rapid. Multiple RIC's will most likely need to be deployed to rescue a downed firefighter.

A parting thought: All departments train some of their members to be interior firefighters, entering the IDLH atmosphere to perform their duties. Departments also keep training records and names of their firefighters who are interior qualified. They even mark firefighter’s helmet's so everyone on the fire ground can differentiate who is and who is not interior qualified. The Rapid Intervention Crew Have we given any thought to using the same process to qualify firefighters to be RIC qualified? This is an extremely complex task we are asking our firefighters to accomplish. Does your training as a RIC member really qualify you to take on this extremely difficult task?

Always Expect the Unexpected!!! Be safe in all your firefighting duties. TRK The Rapid Intervention Crew

The Rapid Intervention Crew