SUBJECT: Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) Page 1 of 12 PURPOSE: To assure that the appropriate level of Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) shall be implemented at structure fires and other applicable incidents; thereby, providing an immediate need rescue capability for all fire personnel. AUTHORITY: While operating at structure fires and other identified applicable incidents the decision regarding the establishment of the RIC shall be at the discretion of the Incident Commander (Command). The utilization of RIC personnel and equipment for any other purpose is discouraged. The number of RIC(s) shall be driven by the needs of the incident as determined by the Incident Commander (Command). TERMINOLOGY: CAN report: A statement of Conditions, Actions, and Needs that gives Command/Supervisors a concise situation report and resource need request. EMERGENCY TRAFFIC: The term Emergency Traffic has been designated as the radio broadcast for alerting all personnel operating at an emergency incident of a real or potential firefighter hazard. Criteria for invoking a Emergency Traffic may include, but is not limited to; Mayday situation, structural collapse potential, rapidly changing fire conditions, clearing tactical/command radio channels etc Full PPE: Fully donned structural PPE with SCBA and search rope bag. IDLH: Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health. All interior structure fires, beyond the incipient phase, are considered IDLH and require appropriately equipped full PPE firefighters and 2in/2out. MAYDAY: The term Mayday repeated three times has been designated as the radio broadcast for alerting all personnel operating at an emergency incident of a distressed Firefighter. Criteria for invoking a Mayday may include, but is not limited to personnel within a structure fire; trapped, disoriented or lost within the structure, believed to be missing within the structure. NUCAN report: A statement from MAYDAY firefighter indicating Name, Unit, Conditions, Actions, and Needs that give s Command/Supervisors a concise situation report and helps direct RIC recourses. 1
SUBJECT: Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) Page 2 of 12 PAC Assessment: P- Person Is this the person you re looking for? PASS Device Silence it Portable Radio Turn the downed firefighter s portable radio off to reduce radio interference. A - Air Check the downed firefighter s air supply Assessment Checking for entrapment or entanglement Actions What you are doing with the downed firefighter (1) Air options (2) Packaging type (3) Location of exit points C- Communicate a CAN report based on the information gathered from the PAC assessment POLICY: RIC: Rapid Intervention Crew is a crew standing by in a ready state to immediately react and deploy to rescue injured, trapped or lost emergency personnel during an IDLH situation. Typical RIC consists of a minimum 3-4 person crew. Softening the building: The act of prepping a structure, enhancing access/egress (including opening doors and windows), and clearing a pathway around the structure to make the interior more accessible and tenable. Softening should be coordinated with interior operations and not negatively impact fire conditions. 2in/2out: Is established by first arriving crews when initially faced with Immediate dangerous to life and health (IDLH) or potential IDLH atmospheres, in accordance with NFPA 1500, OSHA 29CFR 1910.120 and 1910.134, when operating in and around hazardous environments. RIC is typically established by incoming resource as crews are deployed. As resources become available a RIC team should be established ASAP. The Templeton Department commits to this policy that RIC shall be maintained by the Incident Commander. This shall include all incidents where an interior fire attack is made or whenever an operation places crews in a hazardous areas. It shall be the responsibility of all department officers to implement this operating guideline. It shall be the responsibility of all department officers to train members in the application of this guideline. It shall be the responsibility of each member to know, understand and use this guideline as it applies to the situation. Each member will use good judgment in the use of this guideline. 2
SUBJECT: Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) Page 3 of 12 OPERATIONAL GUIDELINE: A. Command Responsibilities: 1) The IC will establish and assign the RIC Group Supervisor position. 2) RIC should be assigned to the Incident Commander, Operations or RIC Group Supervisor and deployed at the discretion of the IC. 3) The decision to assign the RIC to Critical Firefighter Safety Tasks shall be at the sole discretion of the Incident Commander. 4) RIC personnel and equipment allocated for non-ric tasks should be discouraged. When a confirmed civilian rescue is communicated, RIC may deploy if no other resources are available. If deployed, RIC should be immediately replaced. The original RIC should be re-designated Rescue Group etc. 5) The IC should request a separate tactical channel to manage operations during a RIC event. 6) The IC is responsible for the implementation, utilization, and frequency of the department s Personnel Accountability Report (PAR). Regular and effective PAR s will provide the RIC a better idea of where personnel are operating at an incident, and identify more quickly when a firefighter is unaccounted for. 7) The decision to demobilize the RIC shall be at the discretion of the IC. Maintaining an appropriate RIC throughout the incident should be considered based on the inherent risk specific to the incident. 8) The IC should consider maintaining a full additional alarm within staging until the completion of RIC operations due to the anticipated stress and work load affiliated with an operating Mayday. B. Strategic Considerations: 1) The determination to establish multiple RIC(s) should be driven by the potential need for a Large Area search operation and/or commercial size buildings. In addition the determination of Specialized tools and techniques needs should be considered 2) For large buildings, or buildings/occupancies of a geographic nature that make the deployment of a single RIC component to all access points of a structure problematic, serious consideration should be made for multiple RICs. If the determination is made to establish multiple RICs, from different scene locations, the Captain/OIC assigned to the RIC Group Supervisor position will be identified to coordinate all RIC operations. 3
SUBJECT: Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) Page 4 of 12 C. Tactical Considerations: Once RIC has been established, the unit(s) shall deploy in a proactive approach. The following items are considerations for a proactive approach: 1) Check in with command to confirm which crews are on scene and their respective working locations. 2) Confirm radio channels in use and ensure RIC members are on the correct channels. 3) Once RIC has been established, the Company Officer assigned to RIC or RIC Group Supervisor should request a Tactical Channel (TAC) through Incident Command to be used for suppression resources in the event of a RIC deployment. Prior to a RIC deployment, RIC communications will be made primarily through this Channel. In an effort to get a better idea of where companies and units are operating at an incident, it is recommended that RIC personnel monitor all TAC Channels being utilized by personnel operating on scene 4) Determine location of RIC equipment staging and inform command a. Preferably on a corner of the involved building. b. Utilize salvage cover of a designated color c. Utilize SFT RIC Tactical Worksheet (Attached) 5) Conduct a size-up with crew of the structure involved to include: a. Use of a Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) both for the exterior as well as the interior b. Structural triage of the building c. Identification of building type and construction d. Access to all portions of the building e. Assign roles/responsibilities f. Last firefighter in brings the RIC pack 6) Soften the Structure Ensuring multiple access points and exits are established/created to facilitate a quicker response and increased chance of survival. a. Consider additional companies. 7) This list is not an absolute as additional items and/or circumstances may be present. a. Place additional ladders to the roof if ventilation tactics are in process. b. Place additional ladders to multiple floors if crews are, or will be, working on those floors. c. Remove security bars on doors and windows. d. Ensure windows and doors can open e. Keep them open if not a negative impact to interior operations f. Place illumination devices inside doors and windows to indicate an exit point to interior crews (i.e. Glow sticks, box lights, etc.). 4
SUBJECT: Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) Page 5 of 12 D. Tool Selection: The RIC will select the proper tools to perform a rapid rescue based upon their size-up. The focus should be Rapid not to overload the tool cache. 1) Basic Package carried on 7195 and 7185 (the minimum tools needed): a. RIC Bag, 60 minute cylinder, SCBA mask, SCBA buddy breathing hose, anchor/search line with carabineer, light sticks, etc.) b. Irons (halligan and flathead axe) c. Flashlights d. Thermal Image Camera e. Rescue rope bag with hardware (in addition to RIC kit search line) f. Accountability board for crew passports with the PASS Officer or IC 2) Other Tools and Equipment to Consider a. Ladders--If possible the RIC team should consider throwing a ground ladder(s) to the fire building. This ladder should be placed to the fire floor or floor above as a means of egress for the interior crews. b. Circular Saw or Chain Saw c. Spare SCBA bottles d. Charged hose line e. Any other tools deemed appropriate for the situation E. Deployment: 1) The RIC is in place to assist with, and/or affect the rescue of fire personnel who may be endangered. Entry into the involved structure is permissible under the following general conditions (not all-inclusive): a. A rescue situation develops involving fire personnel. b. Personnel are unaccounted for following a personnel accountability report (PAR). c. A Mayday radio call is received. 2) When Firefighter(s) or incident personnel are faced with life threatening emergencies, they may call for help using; MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY over the radio channel they are assigned. Incident Commanders shall acknowledge the person in trouble and use the term EMERGENCY TRAFFIC to clear the radio traffic. 3) Upon receiving a Mayday from fire personnel on scene, the IC should establish Emergency Traffic on the fire ground and gather the following information: a. The following information needs to be voiced to the IC utilizing NUCAN: b. Identify the firefighter by Name, Unit, Conditions, Actions, and Needs i. (i.e. Firefighter Jones from Engine 7195 is off the hose-line lost, last seen 2 minutes ago C side, need RIC deployment to C/D corner ). 5
SUBJECT: Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) Page 6 of 12 c. Additional information may include; i. An accurate number of personnel affected. ii. The accurate location of the emergency. iii. A brief description of the situation. iv. The ability of the company to affect their own rescue. v. The best possible avenue for rescue. d. If the firefighter(s) are unable to assist in their rescue they should operate their PASS device until located. e. The PASS device must be MANUALLY ACTIVATED to sound the audible tone. The device must remain on until rescued. If the device interferes with communicating on the portable radio, it may then be turned off temporarily. 4) Once pertinent information has been obtained by the IC, the RIC Group Supervisor will be directed to deploy resources for firefighter rescue. 5) The IC should request additional alarm(s) and tactical channel(s) through fire dispatch immediately. 6) Command shall ensure a PAR clock is started with 10-minute intervals advisements of elapsed time made by dispatch to command. 7) All non-ric related operations should move to the new tactical channel. a. The movement of Fire Operations to another tactical channel should be broadcast on the original channel after a RIC has been deployed. b. Conduct a PAR on the new tactical channel. Emergency Traffic. All companies this is Command we have had a MAYDAY on the fire ground and have launched the RIC team. We will be moving to TAC channel White Fire 23 and a PAR will be conducted in 60 seconds. 8) Command should also establish additional RIC teams. RIC operations are very labor intensive and will possibly require on-going replacement throughout the duration of the RIC deployment. 9) The RIC should make a determination on the best entrance location and appropriate equipment needed. Crews should be aggressive in their actions and maintain constant accountability and clear communication with the IC or RIC Group Supervisor. 10) The RIC Group Supervisor is the key position in communicating with; the firefighter(s) needing rescue, the RIC crew, Command and additional RIC crews. 11) The RIC group supervisor will hold teams to a 10 minute turn around policy while operating in the IDLH. The RIC group supervisor should position themselves in visual proximity to the team s entry point. 6
SUBJECT: Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) Page 7 of 12 12) Once a RIC has made contact with a downed firefighter, they should complete a PAC assessment and communicate a CAN report to RIC Group Supervisor. 13) Once the downed firefighter(s) have been removed from the IDLH atmosphere, and a PAR has been completed, the IC shall transmit an ALL CLEAR, RESUME RADIO TRAFFIC on all assigned radio channels. F. Post Incident Analysis: REFERENCES: EXCEPTIONS: Approved by: 1) A post incident analysis (PIA) shall be filed with the Fire Chief within 30 days after any RIC activation for firefighter rescue by the Incident commander. 1) Cal OSHA Reg. Title 8 CCR, Sec. 5144 2) Federal OSHA Respiratory protection standard, 29 CFR 1910.134(g)(4), 29CFR 1910.155(c)(26) 3) NFPA 1500 1) RIC shall be assigned by and deployed only at the discretion of Command. The decision to not assign RIC must be carefully evaluated based on the resource needs of the incident. (i.e. Truck 8141 conducting ventilation to make building more tenable for Engine fire attack crews). Jim Langborg - Fire Chief 7
SUBJECT: Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) Page 8 of 12 Assignment Actions Checklists Incident Commander: Emergency Traffic declaration to alert fire ground that a fire fighter emergency has been declared. Move non-affected units to a secondary fire ground channel. Receive Location, Unit, Name, Air, Resources/Name, Unit, Conditions, Actions, Needs report from trapped fire fighter. PAR conducted. Immediately requested additional alarms. Commit and brief RIC on situation. Change plan to high priority rescue operation. Withdraw companies from affected areas as needed. Reinforce fire-fighting positions. Open and unlock all doors. Ventilate to maintain tenability. Provide Additional Lighting Closely coordinate and control search efforts. Monitor structural integrity. Maintain strong control of incident and crews. Control media. Assign aids to monitor radio channels. Special call additional officers. 8
SUBJECT: Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) Page 9 of 12 Assignment Actions Checklists RIC Group Supervisor: Report to IC for briefing. Designate a staging area for equipment. Confirm fire ground operations radio channel and RIC radio channel. Reconnoiter; Confirm location of fire and volume, Occupancy, Building Construction, Exits, Utility status. Expected fire extension. Where fire companies are operating. How long have they been operating. What progress has been made. Communicate with trapped fire fighter(s) and receive updated LUNAR reports. Communicate with RIC Group Leader(s), monitoring entry time Air Aware, timely CAN reports. 9
SUBJECT: Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) Page 10 of 12 Assignment Actions Checklists RIC Group Leader(s): Receive briefing from RIC Group Supervisor. Confirm fireground operations radio channel and RIC radio channel. Reconnoiter; Confirm location of fire and volume, Occupancy, Building Construction, Exits, Utility status. Expected fire extension. Where fire companies are operating. How long have they been operating. What progress has been made. Compile RIC equipment cache. Communicate with RIC Group Supervisor, entry time, PAR, lowest air level. Communicate CAN reports. Monitor air usage and work time before egress. 10
SUBJECT: Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) Page 11 of 12 Assignment Actions Checklists Division/Group Supervisor: Receive assignment and companies assigned from IC. Confirm fireground operations radio channel and RIC radio channel. Confirm location of fire and volume. Expected fire extension. Where fire companies are operating. How long have they been operating. What progress has been made. Communication and supervise companies assigned to the division. Monitor building and fire conditions. Coordinate with ventilation group or division. 11
SUBJECT: Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) Page 12 of 12 Assignment Actions Checklists Trapped Fire Fighter(s): Communicate an Emergency Traffic to Command. Communicate a Location, Unit, Name, Air, Resources report to IC. Be prepared to communicate on any channel. Activate PASS device between communications. Continue to search for way out. Move to safe refuge area when needed. Take resting position near wall, doorway or hallway. Control breathing (skip breath), stay calm, conserve air monitor air levels. Point flashlight toward ceiling, use tools to indicate position. Provide RIC Group Supervisor updated LUNAR reports when necessary. 12