Area Firefighters Train To Rescue Their Own
Putnam Conn. - A million things can go wrong when firefighters are batting a fire within a building. Whether it’s a structural collapse, disorientation due to low visibility, or a medical event the risk of a firefighter needing to call a “Mayday” is forever present. Prior to this ever happening, a FAST (Firefighter Assist Search Team), or RIT (Rapid Intervention Team), is standing by on the scene in case they need to help one of their own.
On a fire scene, you will often see this team standing around a pile of equipment in full gear. This crew rarely gets employed for their primary task, but when a “mayday” is called, they jump into action. Their whole purpose on the fire scene is rescuing downed or disoriented firefighters during “mayday” situations.
This team carries a number of tools to assist them in finding the downed firefighter and extricating them from the building. Tools range from circular rescue saws to extra SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) bottles and replacement parts, to ropes and specialized boards to remove the firefighter.
On Tuesday evening, August 8th, 2023, the East Putnam Fire Department hosted members of the Bungay Fire Brigade and the Muddy Brook Fire Department to cover some of the specialized equipment they carry as part of their FAST response. As well as to share techniques employed by FAST firefighters.
The center point of East Putnam’s FAST equipment loadout is the FAST Board from FAST Rescue Solutions. This board is a paired-down version of a standard Stokes Basket, specifically designed for firefighter rescue. With the board being shorter and only having rails on 3 sides it makes the board much more maneuverable in confined spaces that are likely to be encountered inside of a structure.
Firefighters from all three departments practiced loading a simulated downed firefighter onto the board, securing them, and then transporting them on flat ground and up a flight of stairs. In order to safely load, and secure, the downed firefighter to the board, a number of built-in straps are utilized to secure the firefighter from below their groin, up around their SCBA pack, and around their helmet. In addition to the build straps, nylon webbing is kept in bags velcroed to the board. This webbing can but used for a number of purposes including securing the victim’s arms and legs to prevent catching on unseen obstacles during extrication. This whole process could be done with as few as two firefighters but many teams in the area, including East Putnam, require a minimum of four members to make up the team when called upon.
Crews also trained on a RIT-PAK by 3M, a bag containing an extra SCBA bottle, and a replacement mask. This bag can be utilized separately, or in tandem, with the FAST Board or similar boards. When the RIT-PAK is employed on its own, it could be brought into a fire where a firefighter does not need assistance in being removed, but they are out of air or have a damaged SCBA. Crews practiced swapping a downed firefighter from their own SCBA bottle to the RIT-PAK and then extricating them by hand and with the use of some common tools on a fire scene such as a halligan.
Firefighters on a FAST assignment never see the same incident twice. With every scenario being different they are required to train on many scenarios, allowing them to be able to rapidly adapt that training to the incident in front of them. There is a wealth of knowledge in the fire service but it is typically spread across many departments, when multiple departments train together, it allows these great minds to push each other creating better outcomes for the rescuers, and the victims.
While traditional equipment such as Stokes Baskets still achieves the task of extricating a downed firefighter, advances in technology and innovation within the fire service are making this task significantly safer and more effective for all involved.
Disclaimer: Neither Quiet Corner Alerts nor the departments aforementioned have any financial affiliation with FAST Rescue Solutions or 3M.
