RIT Team Comments, Part 2

Captain Harris' comments continued from part one...

5. The first RIT officer to enter should keep in mind that you probably will not be the team to remove the victim. Your crew will clear a path through the debris and locate the firefighter. Short of following a hose line or trying to follow a wall, you have no clue as to where you are going. Pay close attention to your route so you don't become a victim. Use the Thermal Imager but don't make it your only means of keeping up with your surroundings. Our Thermal Imager completely "whited out" due to the flames and heat therefore it too was useless. It is a tool like everything else we have. There is no better tool to have than clear thoughts.
   
6. You must maintain constant communication with the Division Chief or IC. Request a channel to communicate with a designated person while you conduct the search and know who that person is. There are far too many things happening on the fire ground to attempt a rescue operation while remaining on the primary TAC channel. Rescue communications must not be interrupted by anyone for any reason. At the McDonald's fire, the dispatchers did an outstanding job. They insured that all radio traffic ceased and made certain that the words I spoke were getting back to the IC.
   
7. Leave a trail. Take extra hand lights, strobes or whatever so you can find your way out of the building and/or others can find there way to you or the victim.I believe we should have at least 1 RIT on small fires such as a house; 2 RIT's for apartments and other comparable structures and 3 or more for large scale incidents working in an offensive mode. I also believe ladder truck crews should be the IRIT due to the fact that ladder trucks carry a much larger array of tools and rescue equipment. Also, when activated, remind the IC to make another RIT ready to go. Trust me, by the time you locate the missing firefighters,you will be out of air and running on adrenaline. There were at least 6 firefighting crews involved in locating and removing Lewis Mayo from the McDonald's restaurant and, it took every one of us every ounce of energy we could muster to complete the task.Take this job seriously. No one likes to be given this assignment but it has the potential to be the most important job on the fire ground.

Russell

(emphasis added)

RIT Team Comments, Part 1

Good thoughts on RIT teams written by Captain Russell Harris (68-A), from the Houston Area Firefighters Newsgroup, in response to a question about general advice on RIT team use at a fire. Captain Harris was part of the RIT team that found Lewis Mayo at the Mc Donald's fire. His "voice of experience" will be presented in two parts.

Steve, My personal experience in the search brought the following points to light:

1. You must do a 360-degree walk-around of the building as soon as you are given the RIT assignment. This will give you a clear idea of where all the secondary means of egress are as well as the best point of entry. Make sure ladders are in place if needed. You may also find a better route to gain access to injured firefighters while conducting the walk-around by getting a visual of exactly where the action is taking place. The front or back door is not always the best point of entry.Let the IC know where you want to take a osition.He/she does have the right to over-rule your choice.
   
2. When your RIT is activated, take a moment to talk to your crew and calm them down. You are about to enter hell and it is imperative that you have your mind right before you go.
   
3. Take an attack line with you. If you have taken a position away from the command post and the IC agrees to let you assume that position, take a line with you and have it ready to go. You won't use the attack line in the same manner as you would in an initial offensive attack. It's more for the protection of the rescue crews and the victims. We needed the line to knock down a few areas so we could continue the search.
   
4. The officer in charge should be the one to make the decision about what his crew takes with them. The only tools we needed were the usual tools of destruction;axes, halligan tool, etc. We had to breech a wall between the dining area and the kitchen to get to Lewis. Ropes would have been useless. We burned the hose line up so I really doubt the rope would've lasted very long.
   

(to be continued)