Real-World RIT: DEVELOPING STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES

摘要

Washington County, Just north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has instituted a county-wide standard operating guideline (SOG) for the rapid intervention team (RIT). (See "Washington County Fire Department Standard Operating Guidelines" on page 26.) The county has 13 fire departments of diverse profiles―some are metropolitan and some are rural; the population of their jurisdictions range from 1,800 to 30,000. There are one full-time career, four combination, and eight paid-on-call or volunteer departments. The chiefs of the departments are members of the Washington County Chiefs Association. In December 2000, Richfield (WI) Fire Department Chief Terry Kohl recommended to the chiefs' organization establishing a countywide SOG for the RIT. The chiefs agreed and assigned the Washington County Training Officers Association (WCTOA) to develop the guideline. The WCTOA formed a committee to accomplish the task. The committee members were Captain Shawn Selode of the Jackson (WI) Fire Department; Captain Rob Stuesser of Richfield; and Assistant Chief Chuck Ruetten of the Slinger (WI) Fire Department and I.