Chief Concerns Richard Marinucci
The last thing anyone wants to think about is being placed in a position where crews must initiate operations to rescue a fellow firefighter. Yet, we know that this possibility exists, but we don’t know who it could be, who is on the response, or any specifics of what type of rescue may be required.
Firefighters can become trapped, lost, or disoriented or maybe even fall through a floor or roof. Statistics would indicate that there is the potential for a medical emergency while operating during a call. There are a lot of variables to consider, and the work environment is definitely a contributing factor. Thermal assault and building construction are a couple of considerations.
If we are honest with ourselves, we would probably admit that being assigned to a RIT, RIC, or FAST team is not the job we want when we get to a working structure fire. As a firefighter, you enjoy the challenge of attacking a fire and, when told that you have to stand by just in case something happens, especially something that, fortunately, is not a high-frequency event, you may not be too happy with this job detail. There are many organizations that have attempted to address this by creating the “on deck” concept where a specific crew will rotate out of RIT assignments. But, even in these cases, there requires a sense of discipline to stay within your responsibilities and not focus on what your next role at the fire may be.
Since we cannot predict the who, what, where, or how a rescue may be needed, the preparations must be on getting good at your job. The better your skill levels are across the board, the more successful you will be should you be called on to rescue another firefighter. There is a belief that those who are good at what they do regularly and routinely will react appropriately when faced with more rare events. Individuals and organizations get good by practicing their trade, keeping current with the state of the art, and hard work. This is the result of competence and confidence that leads to great performance.
There are a couple of elements of this to consider. First, and probably most important, is to learn as much about your work environment as possible. Some may say this is impossible in that we have different “offices” every time we go to a fire. But there are similarities, and study can reveal those that lead to better decision making. Too often, individuals and organizations do not commit to training and education with respect to building construction. Frequently, when asked when their most recent instruction on building construction was, respondents say it was too long ago—perhaps going all the way back to recruit school. There have been many changes to construction methodologies and materials, and a failure to recognize building behavior can lead to mistakes. This will be critical in the event one of your own needs to be rescued.
The rescuer’s physical condition is very important but not often discussed when planning for a potential event. This must be considered as part of the firefighter overall fitness and wellness along with the condition at the time of the rescue. Anecdotally, I believe today’s fire service is more conscious of the health of firefighters. There is more discussion regarding exercise, diet, and sleep. This is good but must continue to improve. Maybe as a motivating factor, firefighters should prepare daily for “game day” with the hopes it never co