Recruits with the Manhattan Fire Department continued their training yesterday with the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). 13 recruits must use all the skills they have learned during their five weeks of training, to complete this course.
“The goal of the exercise is to make it as real as possible,” said Battalion Chief Mark Whitehair,” We need the recruits to build up that teamwork to get the job done.”
Whitehair said the recruits must find and rescue a downed firefighter, which is a test dummy in this situation, while maneuvering through smoke and tight corners.
“They’ve got smoke machines making the entire house filled with smoke,” said Recruit Ben Rankin, “Your vision is obstructed and trying movie around in these tight corners can be really hard.”
This is the fifth week of training out six the recruits have gone through and also their third major exercise. The recruits have one more week of training and then graduation the week after.
The drill took place on the 1100 block of Bluemont avenue yesterday.
