Rapid Intervention Crew

SMOKE Approved Q Course (Q37E)

This survival and Rapid Intervention Crew training course, teaches students basic attitudes and techniques to help them survive on the Fire Ground. The course follows a logical progression beginning with individual survival and ending with complete team based rapid intervention crew operations.

There are three modules to this course covering Firefighter Survival, Firefighter Rescue, and Rapid Intervention Team Operations both in the lecture and practical format: 

  • Day 1 is spent building prevention skills into each firefighter (and preparing them to be members of a RIT). Skills include SCBA emergencies, MAYDAY, disorientation emergencies and emergency escape techniques.
  • Day 2 is spent learning the individual techniques and skills involved in firefighter rescue. Skills include emergency air supply, searching for a firefighter, assessing and packaging a downed firefighter, drags and carries, ladder rescues, rescues from entanglements, breaches, below grade and restricted areas.
  • Day 3 details the positions, assignments, and fire ground operations (proactive tasks, tool use, staging and more) of a RIT team. Skills include performing as the RIT Officer, Navigation, Air Supply and the Search and Packaging firefighter assigned to a RIT team. Day three scenarios combine all skills learned, under realistic fire ground conditions, while operating as a RIT in response to a fire ground MAYDAY.

The intense three day course provides students with the solid foundation and skill-set required to work as a member of a rapid intervention team on the fire ground.

Firefighter Survival Moodule

  • Firefighter Survival: What’s the big deal?
  • Preparing for Fire Ground Survival
  • Managing YOUR MAYDAY
  • SCBA Emergencies
  • Disorientation Emergencies
  • Emergency Escape Techniques

Firefighter Rescue Module

  • Firefighter Rescue: The Ultimate Fire Ground Challenge
  • Searching for a Firefighter
  • Assessing, Stabilizing and Packaging a Firefighter

Rapid Intervention Crew Module

  • Why do we need Rapid Intervention Crews
  • Building a Rapid Intervention Crew concept and game plan
  • Rapid Intervention Crew Tools and Staging
  • Preparing the Fire Ground: Proactive RIC Tasks
  • Responding to a MAYDAY: Interpreting the MAYDAY. The RIC Deployment
  • Commanding Rapid Intervention Operations