Fire Chief MikeBohan Phone: (570) 735-5860 Fax: (570) 735-4847
FAST TEAM AWARENESS 7/26/04
FAST TEAMS [Back To Top]
NFPA standard 1500 provides for the requirement of Fast Teams
NFPA 1500 States
• Fire department shall provide personnel for the rescue of members if the need arises.
• one or more Fast Teams will be assigned, based on the needs of the incident.
• Minimum of two members.
• Appropriate protective gear including SCBA, Pass Devices, and any specialized rescue equipment specific for the operation.
NFPA 1561-FIRE DEPARTMENT
INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
• 4-1.8-Fire department shall provide for the rescue of individuals operating at emergency incidents. Minimum of two individuals required.
OSHA
RECENT ASHA RULES:
THE “TWO IN - -TWO OUT” RULE-2 firefighters (minimum) outside the hazard zone when 2 or more firefighters are in the hazard zone.
ANY SUDDEN HAZARDOUS EVENT SUCH AS;
• Reasons for deploying a team on the fire ground
*Lost, trapped, or unaccounted for firefighter
*Flashover
*Backdraft
*Rapid increase in fire
*Explosion
*Collapse
Team Requirements [Back To Top]
Fast Team members should not be rookies or inexperienced fire fighters. They should be experienced veteran fire fighters with the ability to make a difference in a very stressful and dangerous situation. “Think about it, who would want coming in for you???”
Team members should have a wide variety of training and experience such as:
• Collapse rescue
• Rope/Rigging
• Vehicle rescue
• Survival training
• Advanced and large area search
• Specialized tools
The team must have a wide variety of rescue tools and equipment available for their use on the fire ground. This equipment must also be available for training purposes.
The team must have a standard operating guideline to ensure that all members have a common goal.
The team must train together on a regular basis to instill team work and proficiency.
Team members must be in good health and physical fit to ensure the successful rescue of our own.
Team members must be proficient in their use of hydraulic rescue tools, pneumatic tools, power saws, and hand tools.
Fast Team officers must be thoroughly trained in all aspects of Fast Team operations.
“Remember, training is the key to success in Fast Team Operations”
FAST TEAM PROCEDURES [Back To Top]
LABELING; Fast teams, sometimes referred to as; Go Team, RIT team, RIC team, Rapid Intervention team etc., need to be assigned a common name in your response district.
LOCATION; on arrival, the Fast Team reports to the area of the IC in front of the fire building and remains in visual or verbal contact with the IC. The team should always stay in front of the building with the command post, with exception to high rise incidents in which the team reports to the lobby or operations command post.
TASKS; The primary task of the Fast Team is to respond to any firefighter reported in distress. Generally, there are two types of distress situations;
• Caught in a collapse
• Disoriented and lost in the building
Additional Tasks; Additional tasks the team can perform is to assess the need for ground or aerial ladders. Upon arrival, the team should place a minimum of one ground ladder on the fire building(s). This ladder should be placed to the fire floor or floor above as a means of egress for the interior crews.
TOOLS; The members of the Fast Team should have a variety of truck company tools; flat and pick head axe, sledge hammer, halligan bar, pike pole, search rope, portable radios, hand lights, chainsaw and circular saw/with mental blade, remember, the key here is “Fast” don’t overload the team!!!!
ADDITIONAL EQUIPEMENT; The IC or team leader must anticipate the need for additional equipment such as; trauma bags, spare SCBA, airbags, hydraulic and pneumatic rescue tool systems, etc. The team must be trained and familiar with this specialized.
RESPONSE [Back To Top]
• The Fast Team should respond as soon as a working fire is reported or on the report of a structure fire. Fire departments with limited resources should have a mutual aid company; dispatched automatically.
• Plan ahead; remember the teams’ job is to rescue firefighters. Don’t just stand around at the command post waiting for a tragedy to occur, help to prevent one! Scan the fire ground for potential hazards; steel bars/mesh covering windows, signs of collapse, changes in smoke or fire conditions, etc. It is the teams responsibility to “plan ahead”
TEAM STANDBY DUTIES [Back To Top]
• Upon arrival at fire ground, position apparatus away from immediate area.
• Gather Fast Team tools and staging tarp, report to command post in full PPE and SCBA.
• Set up tool staging area and gather additional equipment; ie: saws, SCBA emergency packs, etc.
• If a ladder has not been placed on the fire building, place a ladder to an upper floor window on side 1.
• Perform walk around size up of fire building noting exits and hazards.
• Report back to tool staging area and perform Fast Team standby.
• Continuously monitor fire ground radio frequency and fire conditions.
• Perform a quick periodic walk around of the fire building, reporting promptly back to the staging area.
BASIC SEARCH PROCDURES [Back To Top]
• If fire conditions are so advanced or the condition of the building is so poor that the rescuers have a good chance of losing their lives, rescue should not be attempted. Under such conditions it is unlikely the victim would be alive.
• When a back draft is possible, attempt entry only after ventilations begun. Entry before proper ventilation could result in a back draft explosion, often causing serious injury.
• Always wear full protective gear, (and wear it properly). This includes SCBA.
• Always working in pairs and keep in constant contact, remembering that each is responsible for the other!
• Have a plan or objective. Do not wander aimlessly. Working systematically will reduce the possibility of disorientation.
• Make sure that there is a secondary mean of egress available for all fire fighters involved in the search.
• When operating on the floor above the fire, have a charged hose line, if possible, hose lines can be used as lifelines in addition to emergency fire suppression needs.
Mark entrance into rooms and make note of the direction turned while going into the room, to exit and return, turn in the opposite direction.
• Feel doors for excessive heat before opening
• Stay low and move cautiously.
• Stay alert, (use all your senses), sight, sound and touch
• Watch for hot spots and weakened areas.
• Keep in contact with a wall.
• As the rescuers moves around a room, windows may be opened to relieve heat and smoke if such venting does not extend the fire.
• Always size up the building yourself before entering. Take a few seconds to look for window locations, fire escapes, tree locations by windows, or other possible means of escape before committing yourself into the building!!!!
• If victim location is not known, the fire floor should be searched first, and the floor above the fire next, (or at the same time if enough personnel are available).
• If rescuers become trapped in the building or have located a victim, they can go to a window and call for assistance. Remember to close doors behind you to delay fire spread!!!!
• Rooms that have been searched should be marked to avoid duplication of effort. Set a standard operating guideline for a standard designated marking.
• If fire is encountered, closing a door will often contain the fire temporarily, allowing the search to continue.
• once the search is complete, search teams should promptly report to the officer in charge.
• Always maintain a left or right hand search pattern. Do not change the pattern inside the building!!!!
• Keep the same lead person. Changing the lead person inside the building could get your lost.
• Remember, the lead person leads and the search person searches, do not mix the two.
• To follow a hose line from a building filled with smoke, feel for the coupling.
• The male coupling will point towards the nozzle with the female coupling; pointing towards escape!!!!
• Always take in a tool and never leave it behind!!!
Fast Teams should always use a lifeline or search rope; it may someday save your life!!!!!
• The search person can use the handle end of a tool to stretch their reach.
• Keep “Personal” self rescue equipment in your turn out gear such as; wire cutters, rescue rope, etc. self rescue equipment is your responsibility.
ADVANCED SEARCH PROCEDURES [Back To Top]
Searching for a lost or trapped fire fighter should not be confused with searching for a civilian fire VICTIM……
• Waste time searching in areas that do not have a pass device activation. The fire fighters may succumb to their injuries or run out of air. The exception to this if the trapped fire fighters did not activate their pass devices!!!!!
• Having a larger search team may, at times, be a problem if not managed properly. The team could possibly get into each others way during the search.
• Do not commit all team members to a room for a search. The team leader and 1 team member should stage at the doorway with search rope and allow the other team members to enter the room for the search.
• Remember lead person; if you are not using a search rope, never leave the wall! If you leave the wall to assist, you may very well become lost or disoriented. You can use a tool placed against your foot and pushed into the search wall as a temporary extension, but never leave the safety of the wall!!!
• Always use a search rope or lifeline, use a system of knots tied into the rope as a directional device. (One knot in-two out)
• For large area searches, use a tag line system for a quicker search.
• A lighted search rope has been developed which drastically increased your visibility going in and out of the structure. Find a way to afford this device.
• New improvements in technology have given the fire service the edge in search and rescue. Thermal imaging cameras will save lives and quicken the search! Theses cameras will drastically increase your chances of “getting out alive”. Find a way to afford theses devices!!!
PREPARATION FOR REMOVAL [Back To Top]
After the team has located the fire fighter in distress, an assessment of the victim must be completed in the following steps;
1. First, you must locate and shut off the downed fire fighters pass device if it has been activated.
2. Next, notify command by radio that you have located the downed fire fighter and give an approximate location.
3. If the fire fighter is unconscious, place your ear next to their face piece exhalation valve to determine if they are breathing or not. If they are not breathing and not trapped, immediately perform a drag or carry to remove them from the building to advanced life support.
4. If they are breathing, check the fire fighters SCBA cylinder pressure gauge to determine the amount of air left in the cylinder.
5. If there is little or not air left in their cylinder, perform an emergency SCBA transfer or auxiliary airline connection.
6. Perform a survey using your hands to determine if there is entrapment or entanglement.
7. If an entrapment or entanglement situation does exist, you must notify command immediately and initiate an extrication operation
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE DOWNED FIRE FIGHTERS FACE PIECE COULD BE DISLODGE OR KNOCKED OFF DURING A COLLAPSE. PRACTICE PUTTING A FACE PIECE onTO ANOTHER FIRE FIGHTER IN THE EVENT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PERFORM THIS PROCEDURE.
• Be prepared for the unexpected when working around a downed fire fighter. When you are trapped and almost out of air. You will take drastic measures to keep yourself breathing. This could include reaching out and pulling the rescuers face piece off for a breath of air, “BE PREPARED”!!!!
• Upon finding the downed fire fighter, you must provide them with the psychological support that they will need. You must let them know that are the Fast Team and that you are there to help them. Ensure them that you have an air supply for them.
• If you do not have an emergency SCBA rescue pack, auxiliary airline connection, or extra face piece, be prepared to “BUDDY BREATHE”, (sharing your face piece), with the downed fire fighter. Remember, buddy breathing is not approved and will drastically reduce your air supply! This will decrease your time inside the building to affect the rescue. Come in prepared the first time around-bring in an air supply!!!
• If the area that you find the downed fire fighter in is untenable, drag the downed fire fighter to a safer area if possible; ie; A stairwell or uninvolved room, etc.
• Call for a proactive hose line to ensure the safety of the victim and the team.
EMERGENCY SCBA PACK [Back To Top]
• When fire fighters become lost or trapped within a burning building, their air supply will become rapidly depleted. It is of utmost importance to “carry and transfer” a full SCBA “emergency rescue pack” to the trapped fire fighters. Fire department providing a Fast Teams must have theses emergency packs available on the fire ground.
• It is the teams’ responsibility to know what type of SCBA the interior crews are working with. Emergency packs should be compatible with entrapped fire fighters. If you are not sure, a new SCBA and face piece must be taken in.
• For departments that use mutual aid, know ahead what SCBA they use. Fast Team members can secure a SCBA from a mutual aid fire apparatus for the emergency pack.
• If the same SCBA are used within a mutual aid system, the departments should get together and create a SCBA, “for emergency use only” for use by the Fast Teams.
• Keep the SCBA face piece with the emergency pack when deploying. You may have to switch a downed fire fighters face piece out when you get to them. Attach a mask bag to the emergency pack to carry and protect the face piece.
“FAST TEAM MEMBERS MUST BE TRAINED IN THE PROPER TECHNIQUES OF EMERGENCY SCBA CARRY AND TRANSFER PROCEDURES”
DOWNED FIRE FIGHER REMOVAL PROCEDURES [Back To Top]
• once the fire fighter has been assessed and extricated, the method of removal must be determined;
• Removal begins with a drag or carry, and end when the fire fighter is completely removed from the building.
• The easiest way to drag a downed fire fighter is to loosen an SCBA shoulder strap just enough to slip a gloved hand between the strap and the shoulder of the downed fire fighter, using it as a “handle” to pull with.
• Use some type of cadence system when dragging the downed fire fighter such as “Ready- Pull” or “Ready- Go”. This will force you to pull as a team making the drag more efficient.
• To carry a fire fighter using a 2 person carry, position 1 fire fighter at the head and loosen both SCBA shoulder straps. Grab the straps and lift the fire fighter from the floor. The second fire fighter will straddle the legs of the downed fire fighter and lift at the knees, Nylons straps may also be used.
• A stokes stretcher or basket may be used in place of drags and carries, when possible.
• Ropes or slings may be used to drag the stokes like a sled, if needed.
• Stokes baskets can not be used in tight or confined areas within the building. It will become jammed or lodge when the removal process is started.
• Ropes or nylon tag lines may be used to assist the Fast Team members with the drag. The lines are slipped under the armpits of the downed firefighter or attached to their SCBA and used as a pulling device.
• A fresh team must be at the removal point to assist the interior team with removal. They may be exhausted from the removal process. The enlarged opening team may be used for this task.
• Use enlarged openings and ladders for removal from elevated areas. Note the use of rowed ground ladders for easier removal.
• The use of strokes baskets is essential when utilizing ground ladders for removal. Load the injured fire fighter onto the stokes just inside the removal point. Then pass the stokes onto the ladders. Use a rope or pulley system to lower the stokes for safety.
ENLARGING OPENINGS [Back To Top]
• To enable a rapid and safer means of removal for injured fire fighters from within a burning building, a technique known as, “ENLARGING OPENINGS”, may be used. The quickest and safest existing exit point is selected and “opened up or enlarged”, to accommodate the removal team carrying the injured fire fighter from the structure.
Enlarging of openings will provide:
• Rapid horizontal ventilation
• Depending on location of opening, will provide rapid vertical ventilation
• Enables the removal team to move quickly and freely from the exit
• Enables large, cumbersome, rescue equipment to be easily taken into the structure.
• Eliminates the difficult task of lifting fire fighter victims over window sills form removal
• IN WOOD FRAME STRUTURES, enlarge existing window or door frames using fire service type chainsaws.
• In brick or masonry structures, use heavy sledgehammers, battering rams and circular saws with masonry blades
• In metal type structures, use circular saws with metal blades, air chisels or air guns, sawzalls and torches
• Use caution not to weaken masonry walls by knocking out to many bricks!
• Use caution when cutting into walls. Be prepared for striking conduit. Wiring, window weights, or piping, which could cause saw kickback, (causing chain face).
• Use caution not to cut structural support members.
• Low sill cut- for low windows
• High sill cut- for high window
• Extension cut- windows and doors
The enlarging openings team should be in full PPE and SCBA while performing their openings. once the hole is made a large volume of smoke will most likely exit from the openings. You must be ready to continue your operations.
Step 1. Select openings site
Step 2. Remove glass and framing or door
Step 3. Send a team member into the opening to check for victims, furniture, debris, and act as a safety person
Step 4. Make a vertical cut, then make the bottom horizontal cut to keep pressure from binding the chain, then finish the vertical cuts.
Step 5. Remove cut out section and place it out of the way to avoid a trip hazard
Step 6. Make an extension cut if needed and if time allows
INTERIOR USE OF SPECIALIZED
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
• In the event of an interior collapse such as a wall, ceiling, roof, or floor, fire fighters may become pinned in the debris. Use specialized rescue equipment may have to be used within the burning structure to free the trapped fire fighters.[Back To Top]
• High-pressure airbag system can be used to lift heavy debris within a smoke environment. Cribbing must be brought in and used for a safe lift.
• Gasoline powered chainsaws may not work inside a smoke filled environment. Consider purchasing an electric chainsaw or reciprocating saw for this purpose.
• Hydraulic rescue tool systems can be used within a smoke filled environment with the exception of the motorized pump. Use the manual pump or extended hydraulic lines to reach into the structure.
• Use extreme caution when operating specialized tools in a smoke environment. Your visibility will be poor at best. Know the location of all Fast Team members and victims before making lifts/cuts.
• Do not walk on top of debris piles with firefighters trapped underneath. The extra weight may further injure or kill the fire fighter. It may also drive a nail or other sharp object into the fire fighter.
• Remember to connect all tools outside first, before taking them inside. Where you will be unable to see to make the required connections.
• Try to have floodlights brought into the extrication area as soon as possible to help with visibility.
• Have a selection of hydraulic hand jacks or Porto-powers available for tight spaces.
• Remember; operate safely”
FAST TEAM RADIO PROCEDURES [Back To Top]
• The team should have a minimum of 2 portable radios with all fire ground channels. This would enable the team to be split into 2 teams for Fast Team duties. It is best if all Fast team members have a portable radio.
• The team should, have and know, its radio call sign. If the team must split, simply use, go team 1 and go team 2.
• The team must monitor the fire ground frequency at all times. If a fire fighter rescue situation occurs, the team should move to a tactical channel. “Remember, you may only get one chance to hear a mayday over the radio!!!”
• The Fast Team portable radio is an extremely important tool. Not only will it bring you equipment and manpower, but it may also lead you to the trapped fire fighter.
FAST TEAM ACCOUNTABILITY [Back To Top]
• Each Fast Team member must have an accountability tag. A Fast Team accountability board should be used with all of the member tags on the board. The Fast Team leader should keep and maintain this team board.
• In the event of an emergency and the team must deploy. The team board can be given to the IC or accountability officer who should be in your immediate area of standby.
• It is important to keep accurate accountability of the on scene Fast Team. In the event of a fire fighter rescue, these team members may become involved in drastic and aggressive activities.
• It is the Fast Team leaders’ responsibility to account for their personnel at all times!!!
REMEMBER!!!!!!!
You may not always have to use each and every technique taught in this program to accomplish a fire fighter rescue. If a technique is working, use it! If it is not, try something else. The purpose of this program is to give you options. A safer and quicker removal time should be the end result.
REMEMBER;
No one is coming in for us, but us!!!!!!
We have to be good at this…..
“YOU GO- WE GO”
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