What tasks are Rapid Intervention Crews (RIC) permitted to perform while on scene?

Rapid Intervention Crews (RIC) have a specific focus on ensuring the safety and rescue of firefighters who may be in distress. The tasks they perform are carefully tailored to support this mission while minimizing risk. Laddering and softening a building are critical tasks RIC teams may undertake because they enhance access and egress points for team members operating inside the structure. This involves deploying ladders to needed locations and making openings to facilitate a safe and effective operation, ensuring that if a distress call comes from inside, the RIC can assist effectively.

On the other hand, aggressive interior attack, while essential in firefighting, is typically the role of fire suppression teams rather than RIC members, who are dedicated to rescue operations. Ventilating the structure can be part of firefighting tasks but isn't usually a primary responsibility for RIC since direct firefighting efforts may distract from their primary objective of readying for potential rescues. Crew accountability checks are critical and part of the overall firefighter safety strategy, but these checks might typically be conducted by the incident commander or the officer in charge rather than by the RIC specifically, as their primary task is focused on rapid intervention.