Number of FAST members for incident

[lad41der 0]

I would like to know what departments are using manpower wise for FAST response? What are the views of different departments on what a FAST should be doing and what a RIT should be doing. I know this is a topic being discussed lately but I would like more information from my brothers and sisters out there.

[firemoose827 324]

Hey.

We have a county-wide team with members from different depts. We train together monthly. When we receive a call there are FAST "Bags" at different stations in the county, when you respond you pick up your gear, air pack, and FAST Bag from your station and notify dispatch you are enroute.

We need at least 4 members to operate, first one on scene is FAST leader. When the team is assembled we do our 360 walk clearing any hazards/obstructions, putting up ladders for egress, and reporting any major concerns to the IC.

The FAST bags have irons, rescue rope bags, biners, tubular webbing, etc. We acquire saws, ladders, and other items from the trucks on scene. The team is brand new and still forming, and we are working on ironing things out and trying different things.

It is difficult to adequately staff a FAST around here, or get one on scene within a decent time, and its even more difficult to get the chiefs in our county to call us. Everyone thinks we are not needed. Our team has made one rescue since its inception 2 years ago; a firefighter fell from an attick ladder on a porch roof while trying to open the soffit at a structure fire and injured her knee. The team got her off the roof with a stokes and some ropes. But manpower is a severe issue in our county, and travel time to some of the scenes, depending on where you are responding from, is extremely long. But so far it is the only thing that works for our county.

Originaly we were going to have each dept have their own team, with at least 6-8 members, who would respond on their engine or rescue to the scene as FAST, but manpower is a problem and it would deplete 8 members who would normally be fighting the fire. Than theres the problem that some depts in our county only have 3-4 interior firefighters.

Sorry for rambling on, just trying to help you out.

Stay safe.

[Remember585 815]

Minimum is four personnel, no maximum is set. Rig fits eight, that's usually the most we go with. Although, there have been a few times we have had 12, 14, and one time 18 members - the 18 was a few years back on drill night......

[Guest]

We run 4/5 including company officer plus a chief officer. Chief officer assigned to command and shadows IC. We usually have at least 1 ff/emt on the response. Upon arrival, 2 members perform a 360 relay info back to team and team chief, similar to what jonesy listed. Every Dept in county (Except 1) carries at least 1 FAST bag with and airpack from ytheir dept and a standard complement of tools. The bag goes to the FAST team upon arrival. Number of FAST teams deployed depends on the incident and size of the building.

After the LODD of FF Brett Tarver, Phoenix Fire Dept did a study a few years back and had some interesting results, summary info is available at the following link:

http://www.firetimes.com/story.asp?FragID=8399