1. PURPOSE.

The purpose of this policy and guidelines is to provide operational approaches for the safest, most competent response to incidents involving injured, trapped, or lost personnel. It is also the purpose of this document to establish policies and procedures for Oktibbeha County Fire Service personnel when functioning as a member of the Rapid Intervention Team according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards such as 1500 and federal regulations such as 29 CFR 1910.134.

2. SCOPE.

These policy and guidelines shall apply to all fire departments and firefighters represented by the Oktibbeha County Fire Commission or the Oktibbeha County Fire Association. They shall apply to all personnel responding to or involved in an emergency incident involving potentially or actual injured, trapped or lost personnel or conditions which may lead to the same. These incidents shall include, but not be limited to, structure fires.

3. DEFINITIONS

EVACUATION SIGNAL

In order to rapidly and safely evacuate an incident scene or structure due to imminent or suspected dangers, IC's should utilize an evacuation signal which can be heard by all personnel on the fireground. This signal should be recognized by automatic- and mutual-aid departments and should lead to the immediate cessation of operations of and subsequent evacuation of all potentially or actually threatened personnel.

IMMEDIATELY DANGEROUS TO LIFE AND HEALTH (IDLH)

Any atmosphere that poses an immediate hazard to life or produces immediate irreversible debilitating effects on health.

INITIAL RAPID INTERVENTION TEAM (IRIT)

A back-up team of at least 2 members wearing self-contained breathing apparatus that is made available outside the hazard area during the initial stages of an incident where only one crew is operating in the hazardous area before the arrival of the county-wide RIT, as required by 29 CFR 1910.134 (g)(4) ["two in, two out" rule].

RAPID INTERVENTION TEAM (RIT)

A dedicated team of individuals consisting of no less than three members (one of whom assumes the role of RIT leader) which stands by with appropriate equipment to provide for the rescue of personnel who are performing special operations or who are in positions that present an immediate danger of injury in the event of equipment failure or structural collapse.

4. POLICY

For all structure fires at which an interior attack is made and for all incidents at which personnel operate in an IDLH atmosphere, the Incident Commander (IC) shall establish an initial rapid intervention team of at least two members until the county-wide RIT arrives and is ready for service. One IRIT member with a charged line shall be committed to a safe non-affected area in or near the structure. The other back-up team member shall remain within voice contact and may be assigned to additional roles so long as this individual is able to perform assistance or rescue activities without jeopardizing the safety or health of any personnel working at the scene. The second IRIT member may be the IC.

For all structure fires, the Oktibbeha County Technical Rescue Team shall be dispatched as automatic aid and shall operate as the primary Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). Incident Commanders may have the RIT dispatched as mutual aid for any other incident falling under the scope of Section 2. Such RIT shall operate under the command of the IC and will take no action other than preparation without the express command of the IC.

The IC will use the RIT for no purpose other than the rescue of injured, trapped or lost personnel, except that it may be used to attempt the rescue of civilians only if no other fire personnel are available. RIT equipment will not be removed from the RIT staging area by anyone other than RIT members or used for any purpose other than firefighter or civilian rescue.

If the RIT is deployed for a firefighter rescue, the IC shall immediately order the sounding of the evacuation signal, order the dispatch of the next nearest engine company for the relief of on-scene personnel and to standby for subsequent rescue, and ensure that a protective handline follows the RIT into the structure, if the fire is not yet extinguished.

The evacuation signal used by all Oktibbeha County fire departments is three blasts of apparatus airhorns repeated until the evacuation is complete.

5. ENFORCEMENT

Primary responsibility for adherence to these guidelines rests with each individual. Fire officers are responsible for enforcement of these guidelines within their respective duties. Authority to deviate from these guidelines rests solely with the fire officer, who bears full responsibility for the results of any deviation. Ultimately, each individual is responsible for his/her own safety.

6. GUIDELINES

RIT members should assemble in full personal protective equipment including SCBA near the Command Post. Team members should remain as fully suited up and prepared for action as weather conditions will allow. The team should spread a tarp and prepare the team equipment from the RIT equipment vehicle.

RIT TASKS WHILE STAGING:

• Perform a thorough scene size-up (size of the building, location of all exits and windows, obstructions that would impede rapid egress, and the location of the nearest ladder and hose line).
• Monitor for changing fire ground conditions (e.g. change in smoke, collapse indicators, apparatus placement/relocation etc.).
• Check for barred windows, security doors and building modifications.
• Check for additional hazards such as power lines and propane tanks.
• Ensure secondary egress routes are established (all doors unlocked, ladders positioned, etc.).
• Monitor radio communications for indications of a firefighter in distress, etc.
• Perform complete walk-arounds of the structure, in groups of two, at 15-20 minute intervals, to continually assess fireground conditions and gain additional familiarity with the structure.

INITIATING THE SEARCH FOR THE DOWNED PERSON:

• The RIT should maintain radio contact with the downed person continually if possible. All other apparatus and portable radios (with the exception of the IC's) should be moved off the channel the downed person is on. Do not ask the downed person to change channels.
• The RIT must use the accountability system.
• Entry should be made at the quickest, closest, and safest entry point, based on the perceived location of the downed person.

PERFORMING THE SEARCH FOR THE DOWNED PERSON:

• When the IC orders the RIT to effect a rescue, two members of the RIT initially should enter the structure/Hot Zone to locate the downed person and assess the situation.
• The RIT should attempt to home in on the person's location by following the sound of the downed person's PASS alarm, watching for flashlight beams or other visual clues, and using the thermal imaging camera while deploying a search rope. The RIT should only use the standard "wall search" technique if a primary search rope is not available.
• If the person is trapped or if there is more than one down, the next two members of the RIT will be called to enter the structure and bring whatever additional rescue tools and equipment are requested by the initial team. The secondary team should follow the search rope to the rescue room.

WHEN THE DOWNED PERSON IS LOCATED:

• The downed person's PASS alarm should be turned off.
• The IC should be notified that the person has been located and his position reported as specifically as possible.
• The RIT should check for breathing. If not breathing and not trapped, the person should be dragged or carried out as quickly as possible.
• If his air supply is low, a replacement SCBA bottle should be provided (preferred) or the quick fill method used.
• If the person is trapped, the RIT will advise the IC.
• If conditions are untenable, the RIT should consider dragging the downed person to a nearby room or hallway.
• If the person must be abandoned temporarily, his PASS alarm should be activated, an SCBA unit left with him, and the search rope left in place.

REMOVING THE DOWNED PERSON:

• If the person is not trapped (or once freed from entrapment):
• If a protective hose line is not following the RIT, the last-in RIT member who has been deploying the search rope should remain at the door to the rescue room and watch for advancing fire.
• Team members not carrying/dragging should make periodic location and progress reports to the IC.
• The downed person should be passed to exterior personnel as the RIT reaches the exit point of the structure.

DISBANDING THE RIT

For any incident where an RIT is established, the team should remain in place until disbanded by the IC. It is recommended that this not occur until life safety hazards have been eliminated or the incident is completely terminated (since firefighters could become trapped during a collapse as late in the incident as the salvage/overhaul stage).

4. EFFECTIVE DATE

9/30/2003