Firefighter training drill by Forest Reeder
For rapid intervention to be effective, it must be established as early into the incident as possible. A predesignated team might be the best option for covering your RIT assignment, but often departments are forced to assign RIT by the order-of-arrival concept in which the assignment is made as companies arrive on the scene.
- The Fire Chief’s Role in Rapid Intervention
- Commanding the Aggressive RIT from the Exterior
- Video: Rapid Intervention Crew Positions
- Proactive RIT: Preventing a Mayday
RIT assignments must be consistent and applied at all incidents where members operate at risk. One suggestion is to assign RIT whenever ff goes on-air on the interior of a fire. RIT is different from 2-in/2-out in that a stand-by team with no other assignment is ready as RIT, whereas 2-in/ 2-out may allow for crews or members to complete other tasks. Review your department or mutual aid group’s policy for RIT assignment, response, and on-scene activities when answering these questions.
Download this week’s firefighter training drill as a PDF HERE.
Looking for more firefighter training ideas? See all of Forest’s drills, or consult our comprehensive archive of online training drills.
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Forest Reeder began his fire service career in 1978 and retired as fire chief of the Tinley Park (IL) Fire Department in 2021. He has worked extensively in the areas of instruction, firefighter safety, and officer development and earned his Master of Science Degree in Public Safety Administration in 2004. He is the author of Fire Department Incident Safety Officer 4th edition (2025) and co-author of Fire Service Instructor Principles and Practices, now in its 3rd edition. Forest presents nationally on fire service leadership, safety, and instructor development. He was inducted into the Moraine Valley Community College Alumni Hall of Fame in 2020 and awarded the Distinguished Alumnus award in 2021. In 2008, he received the ISFSI George D. Post Instructor of the Year, considered to be the highest recognition for fire service instructors in the nation.
