Rapid Intervention Team

During firefighting operations in a structural fire you may notice firefighters who appear to be all suited up, yet remain outside the active area of firefighting.  These firefighters are the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT).  Inter-Canyon Fire/Rescue uses the RIT approach to firefighter safety on structure fires.

Rapid Intervention Team



Nationwide, more firefighters get in trouble while fighting residential house fires than in any other kind of structure, even though fires in these structures are considered to be a relatively routine “bread-and-butter” event. The presence of plastics and synthetics in today’s lightweight structures that make up many of today’s single-family residences generates greater quantities of toxic smoke and burn with higher rates of heat release. This can result in reduced visibility, earlier flashover, fire spread, and structural collapse. Commercial occupancies also present many unique hazards, including large and unfamiliar open spaces that can lead to a lost (and out-of-air) firefighter-a situation potentially compounded by the lack of on-site fire protection equipment, such as sprinklers, needed to keep a fire from rapidly growing and trapping firefighters inside.

The idea of having a group of dedicated and specially trained firefighters standing by to “rescue the rescuers” has been embraced by most fire departments for many years. 

RIT Practicing Firefighter Rescue