BY JIM McCORMACK
You’ve responded as part of the rapid intervention team (RIT) on a number of working incidents over the past year. Is your attitude, “Nothing will happen-we don’t even need to be here”? (We certainly hope not!) Are you responding with the proper equipment and tools to get the job done, or are you simply providing lip service so that if something happens nobody will be held accountable? Guess what? If something happens, somebody will be held accountable, and most will look first to the rapid intervention team for answers.
The RIT must consider the critical function of the emergency air supply. In most instances, when a Mayday is broadcast for missing, downed, or injured firefighters, locating the firefighters and ensuring an adequate air supply are the most important functions the RIT can provide, prior to getting them out.
What tools and equipment do you bring as part of your RIT assignment? Are you prepared to deal with the air supply problems of the distressed firefighters located by the RIT?
For starters, since we’re supposed to be working in teams of at least two, the minimum number of compromised air supplies that should be considered is two, maybe more. Are your RITs taking any SCBA units (or streamlined versions) with them when they are deployed? Have all members of the RIT been trained to quickly resolve any air supply problems encountered? In zero visibility conditions?
Does your department use personal quick-connect regulators or masks? What about surrounding departments? Is your equipment compatible with that of all other departments with which you respond? Have you planned for incompatibilities? (See “SCBA Incompatibilities” on page 18.) The list of questions on emergency air supply can go on and on.
- Removing the firefighter from the environment. Depending on the distance inside the building and the proximity to an exit (window, door, safe area inside the building), one of the quickest ways to solve a low-air situation is to remove the firefighter from the en-vironment.
SOME OPTIONS
When choosing this option, the RIT should be certain that it can get in and out without problems and that the removal time would be quicker than securing the air supply of the downed firefighter. Tough call!
* Buddy breathing. Many of today’s SCBA units are equipped with buddy-breathing capabilities. By using a buddy-breathing hose, two similar SCBA units can be attached and the air supply shared. An advantage of this op-eration is that the air supply of the distressed firefighter is never interrupted (assuming the firefighter had not run out of air prior to establishing the connection).
A major disadvantage is that the air supply is shared, and two people are now using whatever air supply is available-two people, twice as fast (roughly). The RIT must find the downed firefighters before addressing the air supply (that consumes air). The air remaining after performing the search coupled with the reduced air supply of the firefighter(s) found may not provide enough air to exit the structure. Remember, searching for and then removing a downed firefighter takes a great deal of effort and increases your air consumption.
Buddy breathing may be viable for inside pairs who run into reduced air situations. It may also work if a downed firefighter is found by an inside crew. The distance inside the building along with the air remaining between firefighters will determine the outcome. Command should still be notified, and the RIT activated. For RIT operations, a complete RIT air supply is a much better option.
NOTE: In the past, buddy breathing referred to the practice of removing your SCBA face piece and sharing it with another firefighter. This is not a recommended practice. Currently, buddy breathing refers to the practice of connecting a manufacturer-supplied buddy breathing hose between two compatible SCBA units, allowing two firefighters to share an air source.
- RIT air units. By including spare SCBA units as part of the initial RIT equipment, the RIT will bring into the building a full, independent air supply for the distressed firefighters. With this option, each RIT member has exclusive use of his SCBA cylinder. An emergency has already been declared, so there’s no sense in handicapping the RIT by reducing its air supply before it begins to work.
Preplanning before the emergency will definitely help. What must the RIT do to secure the air supply of a downed firefighter using the RIT unit brought in? Is there enough time to strip one SCBA and place a new unit on the firefighter? Are all firefighters on the fireground using the same type of SCBA? If not, what must be done to secure the air supply?
Complete SCBA units, with the harness and straps, can be difficult to manage during an emergency search for firefighters. Some manufacturers have come out with RIT air packages. Streamlining a few of your own air units can provide the same result and may be more cost-effective (you already own them). If you know your SCBA unit inside and out, like you should, then reducing it down to the bare essentials (an easy-to-carry, completely functioning unit) shouldn’t be that difficult. Obviously, this can’t be done for every possible company, so there must be a way to ensure that these RIT air units are available for the RIT at the scene.
Make sure the RIT air unit includes a face piece. The face piece will be needed if the firefighter is not wearing the same type of SCBA or if the firefighter’s face piece is damaged.
SECURING THE AIR SUPPLY ellipse BUDDY BREATHING
Securing the air supply using a buddy breathing hose will work only with the same brand of SCBA that has been outfitted with the buddy breathing capability. The RIT firefighter must be proficient at connecting the buddy breathing hose and ensuring an adequate air supply for both firefighters to exit the area. One other consideration is the length of the buddy breathing hose. If the distance between both firefighters approaches the length of the hose, the air supply of one or both firefighters may be compromised because the hose is pulling the SCBA unit or face piece away from one of them! Keep that in mind when using this option.
RIT AIR UNIT
The difficulty in securing the air supply using an SCBA brought in with the RIT depends on the type of SCBA being used by the downed firefighter.
Same Brand SCBA
If the same brand of SCBA is being used, the process involves switching the downed firefighter from his air supply to the new air supply. This may involve a complete regulator swap or a simple quick-connect hose swap. In any case, everything should be ready to go before making the exchange, to reduce the amount of exposure to the environment. Once the exchange is made, simply secure the RIT unit to the firefighter, and remove him.
Different Brand SCBA
When the RIT encounters a different brand SCBA, securing the air supply is a bit more involved. In this case, the entire face piece will need to be swapped because of the incompatibilities. As stated above, make sure everything is ready to go before making the swap, to ensure minimal exposure to the environment. The new face piece is already attached to the RIT unit, so once the swap is made, simply secure the RIT unit to the firefighter, and remove him.
A FEW ADDITIONAL POINTS
Air
- Make sure the RIT unit air supply is full before entering and that it’s turned on before making the exchange.
- Leave the existing SCBA in place and use the straps to assist in removing the firefighter.
- Consider incorporating “Air Supply Secured” as one of the fireground benchmarks for RIT operations.
Training
- Train all crews on all aspects of RIT emergency air supply operations.
- Refresh all crews’ skill level concerning the use of buddy breathing hoses (if applicable)-their advantages and disadvantages.
AIR SUPPLY TRAINING SESSIONS
Use a vacant structure, a training facility, or the apparatus bay to conduct the following RIT emergency air supply training scenarios. Scenarios should progress from familiarization with the techniques to full-blown, no-visibility rescues involving all possible scenarios.
Quick Removal from the Environment
This option has limited uses but should be included in all training sessions to avoid tunnel vision during emergency operations. Securing the air supply may be as simple as moving the firefighter to a nearby window and awaiting a ladder! Deploy a RIT to search for a downed firefighter. Place the firefighter in close proximity to a window. When the RIT finds the firefighter, it should secure the air supply by removing the firefighter through the window.
Buddy Breathing Exit
All firefighters with SCBA having buddy breathing capabilities should be proficient at establishing the buddy breathing connection and exiting the building. Set up a scenario in which an interior crew comes across a firefighter with a low-air emergency. Have a crew member establish the buddy breathing connection and exit the building with the firefighter.
RIT Air Unit
Deploy a RIT to search for a missing firefighter. When the firefighter is found, secure his air supply using the RIT air unit. Once secured, remove the firefighter from the building. Conduct this evolution for each type of SCBA that may be encountered. Make sure to include at least one scenario that requires exchanging the face piece. n
JIM McCORMACK, a 13-year veteran of the fire service, has been a firefighter with the Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department for the past two years. He is an FDIC H.O.T. instructor and is president of the Fire Department Training Network, a membership network dedicated to firefighter training.
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