Wood County departments train to rescue trapped and injured firefighters
WISCONSIN RAPIDS – In 2004, the Pittsville, Arpin and Vesper fire departments came together to form the Central Wood County Rapid Intervention Team.
Rapid intervention teams, or RITs, are designated groups of firefighters who train to rescue their fellow firefighters who become trapped or injured while responding to a fire. The RITs were a response to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Fire Protection Association requirement that all fire departments have fully equipped firefighters standing outside a burning building to rescue any crew members inside if necessary, Pittsville Fire Chief Jerry Minor said.
Most fire departments can't afford all the training, personnel and equipment to have a proper RIT. That is why the three departments joined together to from the Central Wood County RIT 18 years ago.
After 18 years, the Central RIT has grown to nine member departments, including the Arpin, Marshfield, Vesper, Pittsville, Sherry, Cameron, Hewitt, Richfield and Lincoln fire departments. Members of the nine departments gathered at an old house just west of Wisconsin Rapids Monday evening to train together and practice their rescue skills.
Brad and Dave Tork, owners of Fanning Cranberry, donated a house to the departments to practice, said Greg Gerdes, marsh manager. The firefighters were able to punch holes in walls and pull down ceilings without worrying about damaging the old house.
"I'm glad they're able to utilize it and get the practice," Gerdes said.
The training brought together new firefighters as well as veterans, Hewitt Fire Chief Brian Hafermann said.
"It's a great training; we get to see where everyone is at," Hafermann said.
Each fire department in the group has its own equipment, Minor said. The departments have different self-contained breathing apparatus to use when they go into buildings. Training sessions like the one held Monday night allows firefighters to get to know the various types of equipment they could see during a fire and become familiar with it, Minor said.
Firefighters spent time practicing what to do when a ceiling caves in, said Vesper Fire Capt. Paul Dederich, who coordinated the training. The RIT members practiced rescuing firefighters from under the fallen debris and taking them out a window in the home.
Taking fallen firefighters out through a window is important training because the breathing tanks firefighters wear create challenges not normally dealt with when taking other people out through a window, Minor said.
During the practice, firefighters had to remember to check the "victim's" breathing apparatus and other procedural things that they would be easy to forget in an actual fire, Hafermann said.
One of the most important trainings firefighters got was the recovery station, Dederich said. Firefighters tend to want to keep going, not take breaks and not worry about their own needs, Dederich said. Recovery stations at a fire are a vital tool to keep firefighters safe, he said.
On Monday night, emergency medical personnel from the departments were on hand to check firefighters' blood pressure, pulse and other vital signs to make sure they were all right. The station also had water and personnel encouraged firefighters to stay hydrated.
The firefighters also worked on setting up their equipment on a tarp when they arrive at a fire scene to make sure they are ready to go, if they are needed. They also got practice using ladders to help get firefighters through the windows.
The more the departments get the opportunity to train together, the better they'll be able to work together at an actual fire scene, Minor said.
Contact Karen Madden at 715-345-2245 or kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KMadden715, Instagram at @kmadden715 or Facebook at facebook.com/karen.madden.33.
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This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Wood County RIT continues to grow and train to rescue firefighters
