On April 21 & 22, 2007, Traditions Training traveled to the town of Columbia along the

Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, PA.  This 16-hour rapid intervention class provided

the skills and knowledge for students to function as members of an initial rapid intervention

team.  The class emphasized practical skills - 12 hours of the class was hands on and was

conducted at an old mill-style warehouse that the Susquehanna Hose Company had acquired

for the class.  Instruction was tailored to the operations and resources of the departments

involved and covered:

• Understand the need for RIT

• Effectively organize personnel and equipment into a RIT.

• Conduct “pre-deployment” size-up and safety measures.

• Transmit a MAYDAY and recognize when to call one.

• Function as a team-member in difficult situations.

• Utilize a tag-line and various techniques to locate a downed firefighter.

• Utilize various techniques to package and remove a downed firefighter from

various

situations.