Rapid Intervention Teams 2nd Edition Jakubowski Flashcards
Commonly Identified Causes of Casualties (7)
Failure To recognize rapidly deteriorating conditions Inadequate Survival Training Poor communications inexperienced officers Failure to use safety equipment Water Los Freelancing
Who is responsible to deploy the right people/units in the right places to provide assistance to members reporting the emergency situation?
Incident Commander
Where is inexperience most apparent?
Training
Key factor in many departments failure to ventilate fire buildings adequately or punctually
Inexperience
Where is a backdraft more likely to occur?
Delayed alarm
Weather-tight or highly energy efficient buildings
Double pane or thermal windows
What can happen due to backdraft?
Certainly be injuries
Possibility of structural collapse
Victims may be incapable of self-rescue
Rapid fire increase often results in ___or ____
Flashover , backdraft
When you encounter a rapid fire increase, what might crews need to apply?
Ground or aerial ladders
advance hose-lines to reach firefighters that are cutoff
Two basic collapse scenarios?
A building falls on top of responders or responders fall one or more stories through collapsed decking and land in a hazardous area.
Reasons for lost, trapped, or unaccounted for firefighters
Flashover Backdraft Rapid fire event Explosion Collapse Cardiac Emergencies
Percentage of fire ground deaths from heart attacks?
40%
Who is NIOSH a branch of?
CDC in the US Department of Health and Human Services
When firefighters wear a SCBA the should employ a ____
Buddy system
At all fire ground operations, a RIT should: (5)
Designated and available to respond BEFORE interior operations begin
Report to IC and remain in ready position into required
Have all tools, such as search rope, first-aid kit, and resuscitator, necessary to complete the task
Be prepared for a rapid deployment
Preplan a rescue operation by finding out fire structure information
OSHA regulations that apply to firefighters
29 CFR 1910.134
29 CFR 1920.134 on the entering of IDLH
at least two must enter and remain in visual or voice contact at all times.
OSHA IDLH definition
Atmosphere as one that poses an immediate threat to life, would cause irreversible adverse health effects, or would impair an individual’s ability to escape a dangerous atmosphere.
OSHA rules on RIT (two in two out)
Be positioned outside of the IDLH
Account for the interior team(s)
Remain capable of rapid rescue of the interior team(s0)
(Does not apply during the incipient stage)
NFPA (name and purpose)
National Fire Protection Association.
international, nonprofit, membership organization dedicated to fire prevention and protection. One of its major missions is to develop consensus codes, standards, and guidelines to protect against fire.
NPFA RIC vs. IRIC definition
firefighters dedicated for rapid deployment to rescue lost or trapped members, while the IRIC is defined as two members of the initial attack crew designated to immediately meet the “2-in, 2-out” criteria the OSHA requires.
NFPA Zone locations for IC and RIC. Who establishes?
Direct firefighting= hot zone
RIT= Warm zone
Command Post= Cold zone
RIT along with Safety Officers could help establish as part of their routine operations
Examples of Mayday emergencies
A lost or missing member
An SCBA malfunction or loss of air
A member seriously injured or incapacitated
A member trapped or entangled
Any life-threatening situation that cannot be immediately resolved
RIC member focus tasks
Monitor the crew in the hot zone
tracking who is operating where
what are they doing
maintaining radio, visual, voice, or signal line communications
along with monitoring the time personnel entered the hot zone
When is 2-in 2-out allowed to be broken? Same as IFD
Incipient stage and where immediate action could save a life. Immediately write a memo to the chief afterward explaining why
NFPA 1710 IRIC to Full RIC requirements and size of RIC
When the incident escalates beyond an initial full-alarm assignment or when significant risk is present to the ff’s. IC makes the upgrade to full RIC that consists of one officer and a minimum of three firefighters.
NFPA 1410 Required Performance for RIC
Stage the RIC in a designated area.
Place a simulated downed firefighter in a location determined prior to the start of the evolution.
Identify “safe areas” prior to the evolution, to where the RIC can move the downed firefighter to complete the evolution.
Deploy the RIC
Conclude the evolution when the downed firefighter is removed to the designated safe area
Note the time needed to complete the evolution
Determine what unit(s) will perform RIC duties and what their staffing should be
What does the outside crew need to know about the inside crew?
- Who is inside the hazard zone?
- What are they doing?
- Where they are doing it
RIT makeup
4 is good but 6 is better
What could RIT do instead of being cancelled en route?
Establish the rehab sector Lighting the fire ground Perform salvage Filling SCBA bottles Carrying out other support tasks
What might be the optimal platform to deliver RIC?
A hybrid ladder/rescue unit
What is one of the most important RIT items?
Rope
Personal items for RIT members
Door chocks Medical trauma shear wire cutters personal rope/bailout bags r rescue webbing Life-Safety Belt
How many sets of rope should be carried and what for?
2- Search and rescue
Which rope must be clearly marked and accessible?
Search Rope
What blade should be on the circular saw if there is only one?
Metal blade
Force exerted from the Hydra Ram?
3-5 tons
Most readily available saw?
Chain saw
Minimum training requirement for RIT duties?
FF 1
Where have many departments found that RIT fits well under?
Safety Officer
What is a disadvantage of RIT reporting to the Safety Officer?
May not flow smoothly if the Safety Officer is highly mobile at the scene
What is the chain of command where the HazMat team has developed their own RIT?
RIT reports to HazMat Section Officer, who in turn reports to Operations
If RIT is assigned to the Operations Section who should they report to?
Operations Officer.
Why does RIT go into action?
Likely because another firefighter or emergency responder is in trouble.
What further information should the RIT crew obtain about the scene?
- Monitor emergency scene radio transmissions
- Identify incident operating channels
- Determine which units are on location, where they are assigned, the extent and intensity of the fire, and any indications of potential hazards
- Assign individual members of the team to monitor each channel separately if more than one operating channel is being used at an incident.
Team members high level of readiness includes:
- Having their tools on their person or close at hand
- Turning on their SCBA bottles
- Activating their PASS device
- Having their facepieces and protective hoods in place
At the Command Post the RIT officer should confirm:
- Burn time (prearrival information)
- Buildings construction and age
- Access points
- Other pertinent details
- Locations and ID of all crews, their assignments, the extent of fire, and hazards
- The pre-incident plan of the building
- What accountability system is being used
Team members initial checklist:
- Occupancy size and possible rescue concerns
- Structural instability and collapse hazards
- Fire progress, especially through areas of truss construction
- Access points to each area of the building
- Access obstacles
Team members ongoing checklist:
- Observe and report freelancing to command
- Watch windows for trapped firefighters
- Report uncontrolled utilities or significant hazards
- Assess the ground conditions for debris being thrown by trapped firefighters
- Determine if terrain or weather pose special threat
Officer ongoing checklist:
- Survey the building regularly to assess conditions
- Report any differences in fire behavior
- Check and report low air alarms and PASS devices
- Notify of significant developments.
What channel should RIT use for good comms?
A channel other than the fire ground channel
What should happen to the radio channel by IC in the event of a distress call?
Clear all traffic except for the IC, RIT, and perhaps the victim
IC’s first priority during a distress call?
Maintain self-control
Initial IC size-up after a distress call:
- Ask Who, What, and Where
- Identify primary hazards
- Detail the resources needed to continue the operations safely
- Give the initial actions to take without exposing anyone else to unnecessary danger
Questions for the IC to asks in order to reevaluate the priorities and tasks:
- Should the incident go defensive
- Will the building have to be sacrificed
- Should vent, attack, FE, and laddering be modified
- Do additional section officers need to be assigned
- What specific resources should be provided to effect the rescue
- Is rescue likely or is it potentially a recovery
What are the three primary areas within ICS that RIT could be placed?
- Operations section
- Directly report to IC
- Report to Safety Officer
What is the minimum amount of personnel that should be assigned to RIT? With 2-in/2-out in mind
5-person, two-team RIT is ideal
What are the functions of each team in a two-team RIT?
First team prepares, Second team gathers the remainder of equipment to be staged on the tarp and then sizes up ladder and hose resources.
What does the fifth team member do in a 5 man RIT
Secures the rope to external door, also serves the vital function of team accountability.
What advantage can a TIC bring to RIT?
Helps identify potential hazards before the team reaches them and by making it far easier to locate victims than with conventional techniques alone.
What may cause a TIC screen to appear blank?
A room with heavy smoke and all the smoke is roughly the same temperature
What is one of the most important techniques used to narrow the search of a downed firefighter and when does it begin?
Ongoing size-up. Ideally begins long before a Mayday is called
When should the team turn their attention to the victim?
After they establish their own security
One of the most vital tasks during initial victim size-up
Checking the downed firefighters SCBA
What is the most likely use of RIT?
Heart attack
First RIT crew tool list:
- PPE plus search rope
- Set of irons w/strap
- Hand lights
- TIC
What is the second RIT crew?
The insurance policy
What is in the second RIT crews bag?
- Life rope with a pre-rigged pully
- Strobe or other light to mark exits or victim
- Trauma Shears
- Blanket for dragging
- Slings
- Assortment of small tools
RIT’s outside safety and communications person assists by:
- Securing the rope
- extending it with utility line if needed
- Checking the entering teams PPE
- Pulling the rope tight if needed for removal
- Ensures team accountability
What are some ways to assist in locating downed FF’s?
- Hose line or ropes
- Radio Contact
- Witness accounts
- Listen carefully
- Watch carefully
- Remember firefighter survival training
What can activated sprinklers look like through a TIC?
They can look like a dark pyramid or cone coming down from the ceiling or out from a wall
Advantages of a handheld TIC:
- Is flexible
- easily aimed in desired direction
- easily shared with other FF’s
- allows for quick transition between TIC and no TIC
TIC Training ideas:
- Do basic tasks in blacked out room
- Look for downed firefighters
- Practice search patterns
- Simulate TIC failure and take it away from them
What did the first type of indoor positioning solution use?
Radio Frequency (RF) from AM to ultra wideband
What is an IMU?
inertial measurement unit. Tracks in places where GPS cannot
Types of positioning systems:
- Building Scanners
- Body Sensors
- Accountability Software- Active systems recognize firefighters as soon as they enter the fire ground
Sample features of “new” PASS Devices
- Emitting a ultrasound signal that can be tracked by a handheld locating device
- integrate directly into a centralized fire ground accountability system
- Others can receive evacuation alarm signals and alert personnel working across the fire ground
What does the 2018 version of NFPA 1982 require of PASS devices?
They all have the same sound
What hazards should the RIT be particularly concerned with?
- Presence of entanglement hazards
- Live wires
- Secondary collapse
- Advancing fire
If the victim isn’t breathing what must happen?
immediate removal
What are the two options for handling a downed firefighter with damaged SCBA?
- Immediate removal
- Stay and secure an air supply
What are the options to provide air supply?
- EBSS- RIC UAC located within 4 inches
- Spare SCBA- Disadvantage of carrying a second pack
- Supplied Air Respirator- Best method for long term air supply
If conscious and alert what info should the RIT gather from the victim? How long should this take?
- Name, company, and if alone
- Are the injured or having a medical issue
- Nature of their collapse, entrapment, or disorientation
- 15-30 seconds, followed by a head to toe pre-extrication survey
Head to toe pre-extrication survey:
- Are they entangled?
- Signs of traumatic injury?
- Objects under the victim?
- Obvious signs of fractures, lacerations, or punctures?
- Any complaints of pain?
What does the RIT report out prior to putting the plan in action?
- The situation- number and condition of FF’s
- Entrapment issues
- Additional resource needs
- What is the teams next action
What is the main knot that RIT needs to know?
The figure eight on a bite.
Other useful knots…
Handcuff knot and the water knot
What is one of the easiest ways to move a downed firefighter?
Use his air-pack straps as handles
Where does the second rescuer stand when dragging out a victim?
At the first rescuers back, facing the exit, and guides them out using the search rope
What drag is useful in high-heat or in compact spaces?
push-pull drag, great for removal while crawling
When do you use the fireman’s carry?
Areas of limited hazards
When using a two person lift, which rescuer call the commands?
The one at the head
How many rescuers are needed for the Two-Team Rope Rescue?
3 can but 5 is ideal
One of the easiest ways to bring a firefighter down a narrow stairwell?
Forward drag
What is the preferred method of victim removal for “straight shots” and those with neck or spine injuries?
Litter-Assisted Rescue
Example of a hands-on-survey after a collapse
the beam is no longer attached to the structure and can be moved
Example of secondary collapse survey
ascertaining that the beam is connected to the structure
The face down method is useful for which kind of victims?
Heavy victims
What is the ladder slide technique designed for?
To remove a firefighter with back or neck injury from a floor above grade
What is one of the most efficient ways to breach any type of construction?
Start at an existing opening
What is the best tool to breach a wooden wall?
Power saw
When working with masonry what shape offers more stability than square or rectangle?
Diamond
Before breaching metal walls, what should rescuers ensure?
Structural stability
What is the recommended tool for cutting metal walls?
Rotary saw with metal-cutting blade
While the exterior team sets up exterior rescue, what is the inside team doing?
Prepares victims and secures the room in which they are located by closing doors and performing ventilation
What are the three methods for placing a victim in a window?
Face-up, Face-down, and flip-up
What is the face-up method useful for?
moving a firefighter face-up onto a ladder or for removal from a simple rope rescue
What is the face-down method useful for? and how many members should be used
Better for heavy victims. Two can perform, three is ideal
Advantages and disadvantages of the flip-over method:
ADV- speedy and the victims SCBA can remain in place.
DisAdv- Victims SCBA mask seal might break and if done incorrectly could put a lot of pressure on the victims neck.
What is perhaps the safest method of rescuing a firefighter from an upper level window under hazardous conditions?
The use of a ground ladder with assistance from outside personnel
What are the two forms of ladder rescues?
Outward facing (remove SCBA) and Inward facing (Leave SCBA on but difficult for exterior team)
Although this placement’s added friction makes ____ the downed firefighter more difficult, it also makes ______ the victim easier and safer.
Feed the rope under the bottom rung. Lifting. Lowering
Simple rope rescue out of a window strengths:
The ease of rescue is its greatest asset. It can be done quickly with two ropes. Less useful for large victims.
What is an important consideration in RIT operations in attic fires?
positioning of the team. Recommends that the entry team pre-position on the floor below the attic with any needed equipment.
What is useful with making a hole in a masonry wall?
Large battering ram with pointed tip or 10-ound sledge
What are the easiest walls to breech?
Plasterboard (gypsum or drywall)
The best way to handle a firefighter injury?
Prevent it from happening
If the RIT is to perform other duties while standing by to provide primary rescue services for emergency responders, what conditions must be met?
- The RIT must stay in close contact with the IC
- The integrity of the team must be maintained
- The tasks must require relatively little exertion
Where might the fire service gain its greatest support?
The lost art of salvage
Which way should you follow couplings to escape?
Female to male
What is a concern with accountability sytems?
some departments verify the system and personnel only when a sudden unexpected event occurs.
What is the NFPA recommended time interval in which dispatch should provide the IC with time prompts?
10 minutes
All emergency responders must know:
- for whom they are working
- where they are working
- what they are doing
