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SOG-130Command & SafetySOG

Rapid Intervention Team (RIT)

Establishing and deploying a dedicated firefighter rescue crew.

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This is a template. It is not your department's policy.

Tailboard templates are drafted as generic starting points aligned to national standards. They are nota substitute for your department's own review or for adoption through your Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). For topics carrying significant exposure (use of force, medical scope, civil rights), route through qualified counsel before adoption.

Every placeholder marked [BRACKETED] must be completed before adoption. Every section must be reviewed against your department's staffing, apparatus, water supply, EMS scope, geography, and the specific laws of your state. What applies to a career department in a city may not apply to a volunteer department in a rural jurisdiction, and vice versa.

Standards, regulations, and best practices are updated regularly. Verify the current edition of every standard cited before adopting this document. Once adopted, this document becomes your department's responsibility — not Tailboard's.

Safety-critical topic.

This template covers a life-safety topic. Content draws from NFPA, OSHA, and post-incident investigation findings (NIOSH FFFIPP). Review carefully with operational officers before adoption — errors in policies of this type are the most common finding in firefighter fatality reports.

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Number

SOG-130

Version

1.0

Last reviewed

2026-01-01

Next review

2026-07-01

Summary

This guideline establishes the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) — a dedicated crew standing by, fully equipped, with the single mission of rescuing a lost, trapped, or disabled firefighter. RIT is not a secondary duty; it is a tactical resource. This SOG describes when RIT is required, how it is staffed, what it carries, and how it deploys.

Definitions

RIT
Rapid Intervention Team. Also known as RIC (Rapid Intervention Crew) or FAST (Firefighter Assist and Search Team). A crew of at least two (preferably four) members dedicated to firefighter rescue.
IRIC
Initial Rapid Intervention Crew. The Two-Out personnel who function as the initial rescue capability until a formal RIT arrives.
RIT Pack
A pre-assembled kit of equipment the RIT carries to the rescue: RIC SCBA with mask and spare air, hand tools, rope, webbing, lights, thermal imager, etc.

Purpose

To ensure a dedicated, trained, equipped crew is available to immediately rescue a member in peril at every incident where members are operating in an IDLH atmosphere.

Scope

Applies to every structural fire, hazmat incident at the Operations level or above, technical rescue operation, and any other incident where members are operating in an IDLH atmosphere. Applies to career, volunteer, and combination operations.

When RIT is Required

  1. Initial Two-Out / IRIC capability must be in place before any entry into an IDLH atmosphere, per OSHA 1910.134(g)(4).
  2. A formal RIT — a dedicated, uncommitted crew — is established at every working structure fire as soon as staffing permits. The IC is responsible for the transition from IRIC to formal RIT.
  3. A second RIT is staffed when: the incident exceeds one operational division or two companies in an IDLH atmosphere, after a Mayday declaration, or when the IC determines the risk profile warrants.

Staffing and Qualifications

  • Minimum: two members on RIT. Four members is the preferred standard for any confirmed working fire.
  • All members must be trained firefighters in full PPE with SCBA donned, face piece staged and ready.
  • The RIT officer must be a company officer or an experienced firefighter designated by the IC.
  • RIT members must have completed the department's RIT training and current annual refresher.

RIT Equipment

  • RIC SCBA / spare air cylinder and RIC Universal Air Connection (UAC) fittings appropriate to every SCBA model on scene.
  • Spare facepiece(s) compatible with on-scene SCBAs.
  • Thermal imaging camera.
  • Hand tools: flat-head axe, halligan, pry bars.
  • Life safety rope / webbing and rescue harness / drag device.
  • Portable radio(s) on the fireground channel with spare batteries.
  • High-intensity lights / scene lights.
  • Hydraulic tools staged but not pre-deployed unless needed.
  • A charged hoseline dedicated to RIT operations.

RIT Operations

  1. On arrival, the RIT reports to Command and receives a 360-degree briefing of the structure, location of entry points, known hazards, and location of working crews.
  2. RIT maintains its equipment staged at the point most likely to be used for rescue — typically the main entry point.
  3. RIT conducts or supports softening operations: laddering to upper floors, forcing rear and side doors, clearing windows for emergency egress, ensuring at least two paths out.
  4. RIT does not engage in fire suppression, interior search, or overhaul. RIT's sole mission is firefighter rescue.
  5. On a Mayday, RIT deploys per the Mayday SOG without waiting for additional orders when location is known; Command coordinates with RIT and with a second RIT if deployed.

Softening

Softening refers to proactive RIT work done before a Mayday is ever declared — forcing secondary exits, placing ladders, opening windows, clearing rescue paths — that dramatically improves outcomes if rescue becomes necessary.

  • 360-degree size-up on arrival.
  • Ground ladders to every upper-floor window.
  • Force rear and side doors as secondary egress paths.
  • Remove window air conditioners, bars, or other obstructions.
  • Identify and communicate hazards: electrical, structural, downed wires.

Responsibilities

Incident Commander

  • Identify and assign a formal RIT as soon as staffing allows.
  • Announce RIT establishment on the fireground channel.
  • Ensure RIT receives a proper briefing.
  • Establish a second RIT when criteria are met.
  • Deploy RIT on Mayday and coordinate rescue and fire suppression in parallel.

RIT Officer

  • Complete a 360-degree size-up with the crew on arrival.
  • Verify RIT equipment is staged and functional.
  • Direct softening operations.
  • Maintain radio readiness and monitor fireground traffic.
  • Provide Command periodic status reports.

RIT Members

  • Remain with the RIT.
  • Stay in full PPE with SCBA donned, facepiece staged.
  • Do not engage in other tasks.
  • On deployment: operate as a team under the RIT officer's direction.

Training Requirements

  • All members receive initial RIT training to NFPA 1407 standards.
  • Annual refresher training covering: firefighter removal techniques, air-sharing, entanglement, reduced-profile maneuvers, below-grade and above-grade rescue.
  • Company officer RIT training including team coordination, Command interface, and decision-making under Mayday conditions.
  • Documented in member training record.

References

  • NFPA 1407Standard for Training Fire Service Rapid Intervention Crews
  • NFPA 1500Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program
  • 29 CFR 1910.134(g)(4)OSHA — IDLH Atmosphere / Two-In / Two-Out
  • IAFF / IAFC Fireground Survival ProgramCurriculum reference

Adapt this template

Before this template becomes your department's policy, review the following items and adjust accordingly. Anything else that does not match your operation should be updated as well.

  • If you rely on automatic or mutual aid to staff RIT, document the agreement and expected arrival times.
  • Cross-reference your Two-In/Two-Out and Mayday SOGs so the IRIC-to-RIT transition is clear.
  • Specify the RIT pack contents in a department attachment — RIT kit composition varies by SCBA model and local conditions.

Adoption signature

Adopted by (Name, Rank)
Signature
Effective date
Next scheduled review

Before adoption checklist

  • ☐Replace [DEPARTMENT NAME] throughout the document.
  • ☐Complete every [BRACKETED] placeholder.
  • ☐Confirm the current edition of every cited standard.
  • ☐Check against your state statutes and state fire marshal rules.
  • ☐Route for chief review. Topics with significant exposure (use of force, medical scope) also go through qualified counsel.
  • ☐Confirm alignment with any mutual-aid agreements.
  • ☐Schedule a training plan for the new policy before effective date.
  • ☐Announce adoption in writing to all members. Archive the prior version.
  • ☐Set the next review date — annually at minimum.