Are We “On Deck” or Off-base with RIT? As recent history has shown the fire service has been confronted with many of the same rapid changes as the private sector. As new equipment, technology, and firefighting/rescue methods arise, the more they must be validated. There are certain principles that we as firefighters have had to live by in fire service:
New fire service concepts must be measured up to these certain principles and more. As repulsive as the last of the principles listed might be, it has remained as a principle of unfortunate stark truth for many years. Just within the last ten years there have been many positive efforts to reduce firefighter injuries and deaths to change that standing principle into a memory, such as:
As positive as these and many other efforts have been, there have also been many efforts that had not been properly validated “in the street” before becoming a marketed trend or fad. One example was the use of positive pressure ventilation (PPV) in place of roof ventilation during an interior fire attack. Before the PPV equipment and tactics could be properly tested and validated, it was being marketed on the fire-seminar lecture circuit, sold by fan companies, and promoted by fire service trade journals. It did not take long to see the results of the improper uses of PPV. Buildings were burnt down, firefighters were being burned and driven out of buildings, and, unfortunately, several firefighters were killed as a direct result of improper PPV use. It took many of those unfortunate experiences and tragedies to determine that PPV is a great tool when used properly in some cases AFTER the fire attack. Another concept has hit the lecture circuit and fire-service magazines, titled as the On Deck operating procedure for firefighter rescue from the Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department. The Phoenix Fire Department has completed some very extensive studies in their development of the On Deck concept and should be commended for their efforts. However, what works for one fire department in their approach to RIT is not necessarily the best alternative for other fire departments. On Deck is a concept of rotating companies on the fire scene. This includes the RIT being a company that can be rotated into action to perform normal suppression duties or relieve prior assigned companies. A company from staging would then move up to take their place as the RIT. Some of the most important concerns that exist when talking about On Deck is the loss of continuity within the rapid intervention operations. This includes focus, communication, action plan development, equipment, control, and accountability. The main issue is that an On Deck company will be focused on being put to work in fire suppression, not firefighter rescue. This will take them away from the proactive measures that they should be undertaking. A dedicated RIT, opposed to an On Deck RIT, will be focused on firefighter rescue and developing a series of plans in the event of a “Mayday.” With the On Deck procedure, any new company rotated into the RIT role will have to go back to square one and develop new plans that will work for them. Relaying information from one On Deck RIT company to the next will take time and may lead to critical information being lost in the transition. Reassignment of the RIT will also cause a lapse in fireground size-up by the RIT — only the initial RIT will know what the conditions were upon their arrival and how they compare at any given time. A potential problem with accountability is also foreseen with the On Deck procedure. It is one of the main responsibilities of the RIT company officer and RIT group officer to know which companies are operating where. This information can be another casualty of the rotation process. The reverse accountability is another issue, whereas, the incident commander will lose an important on-going relationship with the RIT. It is a good thing to know who will be in control of a “Mayday” when it goes down with regard to experience levels and talent. On Deck promotes assigning companies in the division closest to the “Mayday” as the rescue division, and this can create more problems than solutions. It is understood that in many cases the RIT team may never truly be part of the rescue during a “Mayday” due to the availability of:
It is equally important that the operating suppression companies maintain or adjust suppression efforts to protect the affected firefighter(s). This is not to say that a company could not rescue one of their own when a “Mayday” occurs, but there may be times when the company will not have the required air supply, energy, equipment, or manpower to affect the rescue(s). It is understood that being RIT has become somewhat of a dreaded order from the incident commander to any company arriving on the scene of a working fire. The mentality of having to “stand around,” “be outside,” or “be an out-standing firefighter” has been a result of a lack of training and a lack of understanding of a well written standard operating guideline. The RIT team needs to be actively involved on the fireground performing proactive duties such as additional laddering, continuous size-ups, and “Mayday” planning for search and rescue. This is the one area of RIT that we fail consistently on at our incidents. More times than not, the RIT positions itself in the front yard or next to the command post and watches everyone else work. What has been found to be the key in changing a weak mentality of RIT operations is to hold the RIT accountable for their actions. This is a positive! Upon reporting to the incident commander, the IC (if possible) needs to order the RIT company officer or RIT Group Officer to develop a minimum of three (3) “Mayday” plans immediately. When the RIT team is relieved of their assignment, the IC should request a review of the “Mayday” plans and anticipated needs for staffing and equipment for each plan. This accountability is not only a legitimate need in the event of an actual “Mayday”; it promotes the RIT to operate as a functional, viable, active company on the fireground with little time to feel impotent and inadequate. The On Deck procedure for RIT operations may respectably work well in Phoenix, Arizona, but it has been shown to be “off base” regarding the handling of many “Mayday” situations outside of Phoenix; and you should be warned of that if you are considering adapting the procedure. Discipline, training, a strong command presence, and accountability are the keys to RIT being a successful operation. © Copyright Firenuggets.com 2006 • Click here for Terms and Conditions of Use
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