HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS ARE there in a rapid intervention team (RIT)? The answer identifies the difference between theory and reality. In an ideal setting, where staffing is not an issue, the ideal RIT size is four members, with multiple RITs available on the fireground. This allows one team to stand by for deployment while additional teams perform proactive fireground tasks. Where staffing is not ideal (which is in most departments), there should be a four-person RIT in place to deploy. The bottom line: You must have a team ready to deploy immediately, or you really don’t have a RIT in place.
During actual fireground rapid intervention operations, multiple RITs are needed. Any time a RIT is deployed, additional RITs must be established for their relief and safety. Rapid intervention operations take two or more teams to remove a downed firefighter. If everything falls into place, the first RIT may locate, package, and remove the downed firefighter. More likely, however, is that the first team will work to locate the firefighter and secure his air supply while additional teams will work to extricate him.
RIT members must perform many individual tasks. Remember, if you do not have a RIT immediately ready to deploy, you don’t have a RITyou have a team doing support functions. RIT tasks can be broken down into proactive tasks before and while responding to a Mayday. Although it would be great to assign all of these tasks ahead of time, it is not realistic. Some of the proactive fireground tasks are found at every incident (size-up, 360° survey of structure, tool staging, etc.), but many are dependent on the fireground and structure (laddering, forcible entry/egress challenges, etc.). It would be impossible to preassign all of these tasks, but you can train all members to perform each task and then assign them based on the incident.
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