RIT Manual - 2021 Flashcards
According to the National Fire Protection Association 1407 standard, a firefighter operating in an IDLH environment should call a Mayday in situations including but not limited to the following:
- Entangled, trapped, or stuck without the ability to self-extricate
- Fallen through a roof or floor to a lower level
- Exposed to a rapid-fire event
- Disoriented in zero visibility
- Contained behind an exit blocked by fire or collapse and unable to located a secondary exit
- Experiencing a low-air alarm far from an exit door or window
- Experiencing a self-contained breathing apparatus emergency
- Requiring use of an emergency breathing safety system
- Unable to locate an exit door or window
- Experiencing a medical emergency
Page 1
To call a Mayday, the firefighter should engage ______ on their portable radio, if possible.
Mayday transmission should include the following information:
should engage the emergency activation button
Transmission should include:
- “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday”
- The unit number and riding position of the member making the transmission.
- The name of the member experiencing the Mayday (if available).
- The Mayday firefighter’s location
- The nature of the mayday.
Page 1
Command should acknowledge the mayday and confirm or capture the following information:
- Rank / Position and name
- Location
- Nature of the Mayday
Page 2
In the event command has not been established, who should acknowledge the mayday?
The responding first due battalion chief should acknowledge the mayday
Page 2
If Command or the responding first due battalion chief does not acknowledge the Mayday, what should happen?
The dispatch center should acknowledge it and relay associated information as appropriate.
Page 2
If command has not acknowledged the Mayday, the firefighter initiating the Mayday should do what?
Repeat the initial Mayday transmission and ask Command to acknowledge the transmission.
Page 2
After the Mayday transmission has been completed and acknowledged, the distressed firefighter should do what?
Why?
Manually activate their PASS device to create an audible and visual beacon to assist crews searching for their location.
Page 2
Mayday firefighters are most likely to be rescued in this order:
- Self Rescue: able to rectify the situation or escape on their own.
- Crew Rescue: Rescued by other members or their unit or crew.
- Adjacent crew: rescued by another crew operating in the area.
- Interior crew: Rescued by another crew operating in side the structure
- Rapid Intervention Team (RIT): rescued by the RIT.
Page 2
ICs should consider increasing I-RIT capabilities by requesting a rapid intervention task force (RITF) response as soon as ________.
Tactics require operations within an IDLH environment.
Page 3
Upon transmission of a Mayday call, ICs must acknowledge the Mayday and consider the following actions:
- Confirm pertinent information from Mayday firefighter (LUNAR)
- Immediately deploy appropriate resources to the location of the Mayday firefighter.
- Transmit a general announcement on the tactical channel.
- Maintain or enhance fire attack.
- Limit radio transmissions to emergency traffic only.
- Order units to maintain their current tactical assignments.
- Request PAR from the Mayday firefighter’s crew.
- Contact units operating in the Mayday firefighter’s area to verify their status and availability to help mitigate the Mayday.
Page 3
It takes approximately how many firefighters to rescue one firefighter in distress?
12 Firefighters
Page 4
1 in ____ members participating in the rescue (of a distressed firefighter) will experience their own emergency.
1 in 5
Page 4
Per the RIT manual, a PAR check of all operationally engaged units may be necessary after a catastrophic building collapse; however, a unit specific PAR check may be sufficient when a single firefighter calls a mayday after becoming lost in a structure.
What should command consider to come to this conclusion in this or similar situations?
Command should consider that PAR checks take several minutes to complete. radio airtime dedicated to PAR check transmissions could prevent a Mayday firefighter from communicating critical information about their situation and needs.
Page 4
After taking primary mitigating actions, initial ICs and command officers should consider the following actions:
- Maintain and enhance RIT function
- Replace deployed RIT units
- Confirm RITF response
- Assess RIT capabilities and needs.
- Request additional resources
- Assign an arriving battalion chief or other command officer to establish a RIT group.
- Utilize additional radio channels.
- Revise the incident action plan, prioritizing search-and-rescue.
- Develop a rescue action plan
- Withdraw and control unassigned resources.
- Restrict unassigned resources from entering the search-and-rescue area.
- Ensure emergency medical services resources are available and ready to receive injured personnel.
- Initiate a PAR check to account for all personnel operating in the IDLH environment.
Pages 4 and 5
Command should deploy an RIT without a Mayday transmission when deemed necessary. Situations in which Command should deploy an RIT include but are not limited to the following:
- Unit or resource unaccounted for after completion of a PAR check
- Structural collapse with entrapment
- Observation of units or personnel in distress.
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