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Twenty one deaths occurred while firefighters were operating on the fire ground.
Fourteen of the 21 fire ground deaths occurred at 12 structure fires.
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)
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
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.
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.
"Moving The Downed Firefighter" This document will help you train on various method's of removal for a downed firefighter.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 times obtained in these studies were not under heat and smoke conditions as may be experienced in a real incident.
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.
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?