Why aren't F.A.S.Teams being utilized

[Guest SQUADco119]

Im just curious :-k lately at certian calls I have been hearing confirmed structure fires and the I.C. doesnt request a FAST/RITeam [-X (whatever you want to call the team) . Im not pointing fingers at any department, i just dont understand why we dont use them when we have the rescources. We have read,heard and unfrortunately some of us may have even seen firefighter deaths occur way too often. Firefighting is much more dangerous today than years ago, we go into a burning buildings farther, the craftsmanship of buildings is cheaper,basically we all know this job is dangerous and getting more dangerous as we speak the fireload in houses is much more high ETC. What if a firefighter becomes lost/disorientated what are you going to do request a FAST then. Why not have them there ready to go. Having them there only increases the chance of a rescue not a recovery. Not only will they be activated right away since time is a big role in this situation they already know the type of structure how many guys are there and what there operation is and know what condition there going into. People tend to forget that the fast isnt always going to be activated when it seems like the S**T is hitting the fan it might be as simple as just finding the fiefighter and guiding them out. The FAST can also act as another set of eyes for the I.C they do walk arounds size up see things the I.C might not notice. They are also a saftey officer/safety team, they can point out hazards make egress points clear, ladder the building take accountblity etc. Obvisouly the team should not do anything that would effect fireground ops in a bad way and before they do anything like make egress points they will and should get permission from the I.C. What i just said in my past sentence does not mean get involved in operations just make operations safer. ITS better to be proactive then reactive. Basicly the point im trying to make is if we have the resources in this county why not use them many departments have FAST/RIT teams now USE them. Some departments may have thier own FAST certified guys do the job which is fine im not critisizing that but the firegroud is chaotic enough and dangerous enough having a Team there just for the sole purpose to look out for the guys working on scene makes it just that much less dangerous.STAY SAFE OUT THERE

[mfc2257 464]

There is an article in this months Fire Engineering in the "Volunteer's Corner" regarding "How FAST is your FAS Team." Not how fast can they make a rescue, but how long does it take to respond, stage, sizeup, prepare.....BEFORE they are ready to perform the rescue.

Even though I've been living in Florida for 2 months now, It's still pretty clear from talking to some of the members of the service that I keep in touch with, that FAS Teams are still being used as social/political tools for many departments (NOT ALL just MANY) and that many chief's egos or other personal agendas are the driving force on who is called for what and when the call is made.

Hopefully these individuals that simply "don't get it" yet will come up to speed before a lesson has to be learned b/c a FAST team was called too late....From too far away.... or with the wrong equipment.

Although it is a pipe dream, I hope that sometime in the not too distant future, preplaned FAST dispatch from the closest most capabable department will replace politicizied decision making that only occurs once the fire has progressed to the point where a FAST unit is obviously needed.... If it's obvious that you need the resource.... Then you waited too long to call for it.

Just my opinion.... Not directed towards any one officer or department in particular.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Great points made. But one thing that I want to address is the question what are you going to do if a firefighter becomes lost/disorientated...request a FAST then?

First this can happen while a FAST is assembling. We are suppose to have some semblance of command. Which we all know is a joke, we don't follow IMS, even though its proven all over the country. But if you do have command, you make a coordinated attempt with what you have and that firefighter has to use his skills to help himself as well. Good incident command and a comprehensive training program increases the chance of rescue not recovery.

Good post 119!

[Guest]

[BFD1054 1,552]

First 5-10 minutes of fire ground op's are the most dangerous. Can a FASTeam realistically assemble & respond m/a in that short ammount of time? Usually not, enough said.

I totally agree, at least get a TEAM assembled, they are for our own benefit. There has been plenty of discussion on this topic in the past, with many good thoughts & opinions. Some say get them at least assembled to stand-by, others say have them roll, cancel them if not needed and the list goes on. Personally, i want them there as fast as possible, just my opinion.

[Guest WolfEMT]

I agree with 1191stdue, why not dispatch the FAST/RIT Team intially? If the primary response unit finds that they dont need them, then they can always cancel the FAST Team. Or, depending on what their perogative is, they can keep them around; an extra set of hands is always beneficial.