HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS IN A RAPID INTERVENTION TEAM (RIT)?
The answer to this question identifies the difference between theory and reality. In an ideal setting, where staffing is not an issue, the ideal Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) size is four (4) 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 put 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 actually 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 ASSIGNMENTS
There are many individual tasks that members of the RIT must perform. Remember this: If you do not have a RIT immediately ready to deploy, you don’t have a RIT — you have a team doing support functions. RIT tasks can be broken down into proactive tasks before and while responding to a Mayday. (more…)

Here’s a look at what we’ve got planned for 2012 at the Fire Department Training Network’s Academy. For more information, to become a member, and to register for a class visit us at www.fdtraining.com. Hope to see you there!

Registration is now open for FDTN’s 2012 courses. Spread the word. Hope to see you there!

There’s only one way to improve your performance on the fireground — realistic fireground training! The FDTN Academy is as close to the real thing as it gets. Sign up today!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF3_ZQFmHFY

Here’s the 2012 FDTN Course Schedule. Hope to see you! For complete course information or to register go to www.fdtraining.com.

Fireground Command – NEW COURSE
April 15-17, 2012

Engine Company Operations I
April 12-14, 2012 / June 4-6, 2012 / August 27-29, 2012 / October 8-10, 2012

Truck Company Operations I
April 12-14, 2012 / June 4-6, 2012 / August 27-29, 2012 / October 8-10, 2012

Live Fire RIT Operations (Advanced RIT)
June 25-27, 2012

Engine Company Operations II
April 15-17, 2012 / October 8-10, 2012

Truck Company Operations II
April 15-17, 2012 / October 8-10, 2012

Fireground Company Officer
September 17-21, 2012

Rapid Intervention Teams
May 14-16, 2012 / October 29-31, 2012

Commanding RIT Operations
May 16, 2012 / October 31, 2012

Rapid Intervention Teams Train-the-Trainer
May 14-18, 2012 / October 29-November 2, 2012

One of the things that we all fight in training and on the fireground is our view of perception and reality—especially when it comes to our individual and company performance. When things go really well we’re excited, we high-five, we feel good and we’re pumped up when we get back to the firehouse. When things don’t go so good we usually make excuses! That’s right…it was usually somebody else’s actions that caused our problems, right? Sometimes that might be the reason—but in all honesty even if somebody else did something to cause us problems we should have been able to overcome them, don’t you think? And there lies the difference between perception and reality!

When it comes to analyzing our skill level we all suffer from this Perception problem. We think we’re better than we really are. The problem with this attitude is that it affects our ability to become better. We resist training on the basics because we think our current skill level is over the top (then we come up with an excuse on the fireground!). Instead, we should train more on the basics—repetition is the key to successful performance, period!

Your worst critic should be yourself! How did you perform? What could you have done better? There’s always something you could have done better! Not different, just better. That’s the toughest thing for guys to realize. It’s not that you didn’t do a good job, BUT how could you have done it better? One less step, a quicker thought process, more awareness of your crew (of the other crews). Every time you perform you should critique your performance. You should also let others critique your performance.

The bottom line…the only one that can close the gap between perception and reality is YOU!

One of the first things that you need to do when you’re planning a training session is to decide why you are doing the training. Is it to review skills that most should know? Is it to simply develop proficiency? Is it to introduce something new — equipment, technique, procedure? There needs to be a reason and the reason must have value to the students.

Next, figure out who will be participating in the training — is it the normal crew, is it new guys or guys not familiar with the material, is it a combination of the two? This is important because you’ll need to make sure there is something in it for everyone.

Lastly, before you ever get started, make sure the material has real value — something that they can (and probably will) use during a response. So many training sessions and training start-ups fail because they’re simply textbook-type training sessions that don’t give the guys something that they could actually use on the street. (more…)

DISCLAIMER: Anyone can be mediocre, you don’t even have to try! Company training is for those individuals and companies who choose to be above average. If you simply want to be average then stop reading now and go watch TV or take a nap – otherwise, start training every day!

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Company drills should be a part of the daily activities on every fire department – including all stations and all workgroups – but they’re not!

For whatever reason, and there’s a bunch, company training doesn’t happen as often as it should. More importantly, when it does happen the main objective is to get it over with as quick as possible. The objective should be to learn, or refresh, the material being covered.

Training isn’t punishment. Unfortunately, most of the time company training is conducted as a reaction to a bad experience – not to learn from the experience but to point out how the company messed up.

It’s kind of funny that every firefighter in every department uses the same descriptive term to describe the first few minutes of every major incident. What’s even more amusing is that most of the incidents aren’t major they’re just small incidents that seem big because they don’t happen that often. Here’s a simple solution – do more training so that things go smoother when the next incident occurs! (more…)

Here’s some action from a recent Truck Company Operations II course at the Fire Department Training Network’s Academy.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKU3ZGE-3BU