Ics

[krawllins07]

A thread I have seen on other websites poses a question I thought was good. (If it's been posted before, I apologize)

As RIT grows from the loose 2-in-2-out to entire companies being dedicated to such tasks, where do you, or your department, place RIT in the Incident Command System? or NIMS.

-K

[Bones42]

We send our RIT/FAST Command Officer to the command post. He relays information as necessary to the rest of the RIT/FAST.

[vesrescue]

krawllins07:

Pretty good question; If I understand you question right you mean where in the organization chart. I though under the IC bracket in safety along with information, Liaison. The only other place would be under operations strike team. Just my thought.
vesman

[mrklun]

Who does your RIT report to under the ICS organizational chart? IC, Safety, or Someone Else?

I like RIT under Safety in the ICS chart. #1 so the IC doesn't exceed his span of control, #2 so Safety has help doing their job, #3 Gives you a dedicated supervisor to run a mayday rescue if RIT is deployed.

We use the Safety Officer when there is a separate safety officer designated. If the incident is really small, and the IC is assuming the role of Safety, then RIT will report directly to the IC. But for almost all building fires, our RIT reports to the Safety Officer.

We also use an active RIT most of the time. Meaning these folks will throw ground ladders, remove bars/locks from egress points, force doors for egress, scout out the building, closely monitor the radio, etc. All active stuff, but still maintaining readiness.

I think by having RIT work closely with Safety, some of the egress issues can be addressed, and the two can work together on accountability and situational awareness. RIT needs to have a high level of awareness were companies are working, and so does the Safety Officer. In these ways, RIT helps the Safety Officer do their job, while not compromising RIT's ability to respond.

If there is an actual RIT activation then things get a little sticky. The IC still needs to run the overall incident, so I wouldn't want him supervising the FF mayday operation. It is important to have someone dedicated to just supervising the RIT and the mayday rescue operation. This would probably mean creating a Mayday "Branch" under ICS, for any type of major rescue operation.

Some places have the company officer of the RIT reporting to the IC, which is okay till RIT needs to be deployed. Then, who is left supervising the RIT company if their captain is back with the IC, and who is left running the mayday rescue?

If RIT is reporting to Safety, we can have the Safety Officer do it till he gets help, or bring in another chief-level person to do it. Tough call? I feel strongly that either way, a chief-level person needs to direct the overall mayday rescue operation.

Look here for further discussion on this issue:

http://www.rapidintervention.com/for...=&threadid=770

[Bones42]

Some places have the company officer of the RIT reporting to the IC, which is okay till RIT needs to be deployed. Then, who is left supervising the RIT company if their captain is back with the IC, and who is left running the mayday rescue?

We do this. We have a FAST IC, a Search Team officer, a Rescue Team officer. FAST IC stays at the command post and is the FAST Command, the team officers stay with their team.

[mikeyboy411]

According to the California FIRESCOPE Field Operations Guide, ICS 420-1, which is a part of the foundation of NIMS, it is stated like this.....

In the initial stages of an incident, the I.C. supervises the R.I.C. As the incident grows in complexity, this supervision can be designated to the Operations Section Chief or even to individual Divisions to ensure the most rapid and effective deployment on a rescue.

Page 18-4, Firefighter Guidelines.

So my understanding has always been that R.I.T. would fall under Ops. (part of the General Staff) and not Safety (part of the Command Staff).

[mrklun]

Thanks mikeyboy

very interesting find!

[DeputyMarshal]

As RIT grows from the loose 2-in-2-out to entire companies being dedicated to such tasks, where do you, or your department, place RIT in the Incident Command System? or NIMS.

RIT is an operational task and should typically be placed directly under the IC or under Operations if that position is staffed. FWIW, it should under no circumstances be placed under the Command of the Safety Officer. The SO has one job and one job only and tactical command of a team isn't it.