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During the RIT operation, the three traditional command priorities (life safety, fire control, property conservation) no longer fully apply since our goal has changed to that of firefighter rescue only. In light of this change, new benchmarks for the rescue operation need to be established. I recommend the following benchmarks:

The first benchmark is the decision to go or not to go into the RIT operation. This is the first and possibly the only time the FGC will have to influence the outcome of a catastrophic fire ground event. He must, based on a size-up of the event, decide whether a successful rescue is likely to occur. If the outcome is highly suspect, he must consider the possibility that those lost or trapped are beyond help. Should he decide to commit the RIT he must give a clear decisive command that is heard by the entire fireground. In so doing he keeps the troops informed and gives them the confidence to know that a rescue attempt is underway.

The second benchmark is the actual search. This begins when your initial RIT crew enters the building and ends when the lost firefighter is found. The RIT crew finding the firefighter will announce over the radio that they have LOCATED the missing crewmember and give his location. This completes the search phase. Upon receiving this information, the FGC may choose to reinforce the initial RIT crew with a back up crew.

The third benchmark is that of ensuring that the lost firefighter has an adequate air supply and that he is not going to incur any further injury. Completion of this phase depends greatly on the situation and the challenges faced by the RIT crew.During this time the victim's status should be evaluated. Is he breathing, conscious and alert? Once these things have been accomplished, the RIT team leader can announce over the radio that the victim is SECURE. He may also want to give the status of the victim. This may influence the pace of the rescue.

The fourth benchmark is that of extricating the firefighter from any entanglement or entrapment. This phase often requires additional manpower due to the problems involved with a technical rescue situation in a compromised environment. In addition, the initial RIT crew will be short on air and need to be replaced. Once the victim has been extricated, the RIT team leader announces that the victim is FREE.

The fifth and final benchmark is that of the actual removal of the firefighter from the unsafe environment. Again, this phase may require additional manpower as the job of moving the victim will be difficult and the crews that extricated him will most likely be exhausted and out of air. When the victim and the RIT team are out of the building, PAR has been established and the victim turned over to competent medical care, the RIT team leader can declare the RESCUE COMPLETE. If this is the last or only victim, it also signifies the end of the RIT operation.

Using these benchmarks allow the FGC to monitor the RIT operation, project manpower and equipment needs, and see to it they are met. It also serves to keep the troops on the fire ground informed and to reduce the anxiety they will feel about needing to "do something" to help out.

Keep in mind that the RIT team must concentrate on the rescue of the lost firefighter. This begins with a pre-event size up of the fire building and fire conditions. The RIT leader should know the general location of interior crews and the greatest threat. He should also familiarize himself with the exits from the building and even open them in advance if fire conditions permit. His team should be staged and ready. On receiving the order to go, he should obtain the name and last known position of the victim and enter the building closest to there. I recommend a rope-oriented, information targeted search for maximum mobility. This also gives other incoming RITs a direct line to the victim. Any firefighting or other fire ground operations must be handled by additional troops not assigned to RIT teams. A minimum of one additional alarm should be called to the scene to handle these tasks. The FGC must call for help early to assure that these challenges are met. Remember, a RIT team that has to fight fire and ventilate will be hampered in its efforts to help the victim.

Let's talk about the expectations we should have for our RIT teams. Many people think a four-man (or two-man) RIT team will be enough to handle the situation. I believe this is a dangerous assumption. It's like asking the first in four-man engine to handle water supply, fire attack, search and rescue, ventilation and forcible entry all in a safe, timely and efficient manner. On the simplest fire you might be able get away with this, but if anything goes wrong, you're in trouble. So, it is with the RIT team. The initial team can only realistically be expected to LOCATE and SECURE the lost fire fighter. For the lost firefighter to have any reasonable chance of survival, this must be done in the first fifteen minutes after the event. They must then call for assistance to extricate and rescue the victim. The entire RIT process could easily consume 16 personnel (four 4-man teams) and large quantities of time and equipment. Now, some of you will ask if it is feasible to keep sixteen men standing around "just in case"? The answer is no. BUT, you must have that initial crew ready, equipped and waiting to respond within one minute of getting the command to go. This will give you, as the FGC, about 15 minutes (the duration of one full air tank) to assemble the remainder of your RIT response. Any delay in the call for additional manpower and equipment will result in a less efficient operation.

Equipping the initial RIT team is another critical issue. The equipment used by the initial RIT team should consist of the following items:

1. A modified air pack with an 8-10 foot extension hose, plus a full mask and regulator. Having this will allow you to tie into a buddy breathing system or to make a complete trade out of facemasks if your equipment is not compatible with the victims pack. It also allows you to remove his air pack to facilitate easier rescue.
2. A rescue rope used for an oriented rope search.
3. Hand tools for extrication. These should include saws for metal and wood, bolt cutters, pry tool, a knife, flash lights, a utility strap and work gloves.
4. A set of irons.
5. A fire extinguisher.
6. A specialized bag to carry these items in an organized fashion. Having a "RIT Kit" of this type will allow your RIT to quickly assemble and deploy when the time comes.

One question I have heard asked is, "Why can't you just use the available man power on the scene to act as the RIT?" As long as a four-man team is available to respond within one minute with full air packs and equipment, they have already evaluated the scene for the most likely hazards, and know the general whereabouts of the companies operating inside they can act as the RIT. This is not usually a practical reality. The task of gathering, equipping and informing the crew could take five to ten minutes. This is time the downed firefighter simply does not have.

This answers a second question, "Can a RIT team perform any other tasks while waiting for a potential event?" Yes, so long as they have gathered the information and equipment they will need and can organize and respond within one minute. This means those tasks can't be interior tasks (they need to have full tanks) or essential tasks (they may need to leave the task undone). Examples might be: pulling a second line for use by another crew or bringing extra equipment to the front door. Also, a building walk-around for recon purposes is an excellent option and gives the FGC information about all sides of the structure.

The RIT operation should be a pre-assigned sector under the FGC and should be automatically initiated upon receipt of a mayday. The safety officer is a good choice for this sector as he has already evaluated the scene for hazards and knows the general whereabouts of the crews. RIT is a learned skill. Fire departments should put this into their SOPs and practice them regularly.

Remember, we should be as organized and prepared to save our own as we are to save others. Attitude is everything. It amazes me to hear professional firefighters say, "We just don't have the manpower to have a RIT team." These same people will then call in the clans to help save a downed firefighter when it's already too late. We must overcome the notion that RIT teams are a luxury afforded only to the large department. We must decide to call for extra manpower from any available source for use as a RIT. This means moving beyond inter agency "turf squabbles" and developing true cooperation in our fire responses. Most fire fighters I know are glad to go "play" with other brothers on the fire ground even if it means just sitting and watching the "fun".

Finally, like the fire ground, the first 15 minutes of a RIT operation are the most critical. The lost or trapped firefighter will most likely be low on air in a contaminated environment. This is why the initial RIT is so important. Their actions often spell out the success or failure of the rest of the operation. Their emphasis must be on LOCATING and SECURING the victim. Otherwise, we will be engaged in a body recovery.

I hope these thoughts will provoke you to prepare for the worst and allow you to do your best when the chips are truly down. BE SAFE.

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