RIT/FAST Put To Use In Los Angeles

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Just a nicely-detailed written article from the LAFD blog about how/why an RIT-FAST team was put into action at a fire the other day.

From http://lafd.blogspot.com/

Wall Collapse During Blaze Injures Firefighters

Pre-Fire view of wall that collapsed on Los Angeles Firefighters:

Pre-Fire view of wall that collapsed on Los Angeles Firefighters

On Friday, September 16, 2005, at 4:29 a.m. PDT, seventeen companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, one Deputy Chief, one Assistant Chief Officer Command Team, four Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, two Battalion EMS Supervisors, six LAFD Rescue Ambulances, one Hazmat Squad, three Arson Units, and other Fire Department resources and city agencies, under the direction of Assistant Chief Jeffery Mottram, responded to a Major Emergency Structure Fire at 1655 West Adams Boulevard in the West Adams area.

First units on the scene reported a large, two-story, vacant Victorian style single-family dwelling, well involved with fire.

Using handlines, Firefighters aggressively attacked the fire while simultaneously conducting an initial search and rescue operation.

During firefighting operations, a large full-thickness section of the structure's west wall, including dimensional lumber, wire, stucco, lath and plaster, collapsed from near the top of the building onto two Firefighters. An Emergency Traffic Alert was immediately initiated for the downed Firefighters and an intense rescue operation was started.

Briefly trapped by several hundred pounds of debris from the collapsed wall, the Firefighters were quickly rescued by the LAFD Rapid Intervention Company and other nearby Firefighters, and then taken to a place of safety for evaluation.

One Firefighter suffered a broken right leg, left arm and left wrist, while the second Firefighter suffered first degree burns to his chin, left ear, and substantial bumps and bruises; both were transported to California Hospital in stable condition.

With the integrity of the structure compromised, an Emergency Traffic Alert was issued to withdraw all Firefighters from within and around the involved structure.

Firefighters immediately withdrew from the structure and took up a defensive position on the exterior of structure and used heavy stream appliances to knock down the fire. The fire was extinguished in fifty-one minutes.

No other injuries were reported.

Fire damage is still being tabulated. The cause of the fire remains listed as under investigation.

Submitted by Jim Wells/Brian Humphrey, Spokesmen

Los Angeles Fire Department

[SHAC7301 0]

Is the LAFD Rapid Intervention Company a full time unit, or is a unit responding to the emergency designated as the RIC?

[Guest]

In the LAFD, RIC teams are usually assigned by the incident commander to a company as the assignment starts to show up on scene of a fire. Usually after the fire attack team, secondary fire attack team are in and a couple trucks are on the roof, a company will be assigned RIC. Most of the time, the guys from the Haz-Mat squad are given the task, but thats not a rule. It could be given to anyone. Yesterday there was a fire in Battalion 12 and Light Force 98 was assigned RIC. You can read about this incident on the LAFD blog also. Squads are assigned to any greater alarm or better.

[SHAC7301 0]

Got it....thanks