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