Transcript The Rapid Intervention Crew - Fire Department families

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
Saving Our Own
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.
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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.
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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.
The Rapid Intervention Crew
Rapid Intervention has been given different names but they all operate very similar during deployment:
IRIC
RIC
RIT
FAST
IRT
RAT
FRAT
RDU
RICO
RRT
GO Team
FAT
Initial Rapid Intervention Crew
(2 in 2 out rule)
Rapid Intervention Crew (Term used by the NFPA and NIMS)
Rapid Intervention Team
Firefighter Assist and Search (or Safety) Team (Started by the FDNY)
Immediate Response Team
Rescue Assist Team
Firefighter Rescue Available Team
Rapid Deployment Unit
Rapid intervention company operations
Rapid Response Team
Firefighter Assist Team
(not widely used)
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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 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
The Rapid Intervention Crew
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
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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.
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.
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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.
(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.
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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.
The Rapid Intervention Crew
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.
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Here is a PowerPoint Presentation that will review
the MAYDAY call that sets the RIC in motion.
The Rapid Intervention Crew
RISK MANAGEMENT
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.
The Rapid Intervention Crew
NOTE:
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.
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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.
The Rapid Intervention Crew
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)
Sawsall
Pick head axe
K-12 Chain Saw (wood cutting blade)
Sledge hammer
Attic Ladder
Pry bar
Sump Pump (cellar rescue)
Short pike poles or closet hook
Hand Line
Defibrillator
Extrication equipment
Cribbing Kit
Cutting Torch
Lighting
Cord Reel
Water Extinguisher
Dry Chemical Extinguisher
Stokes basket
Backboard
Hand saws
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
The Rapid Intervention Crew
Rapid Intervention is never rapid.
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.
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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.
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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.
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?
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Always Expect the Unexpected!!!
Be safe in all your firefighting duties.
TRK