It is no surprise that firemen come in all shapes and sizes, this we know. But what happens when a downed fireman is just too large to be traditionally converted and packaged when speaking in terms related to RIT?An adapt and overcome type mentality is needed rather than the old we’ll just pull ideology.

Thanks to some very knowledgable firemen and the passing on of information we have a way we can overcome this. One option being by using
a section of webbing, girth hitched around a carabiner. The carabiner picture is a locking carabiner that moves into the open position when the spine is depressed. This is important to note.

This allows us to not have to worry about wasting time with twist locking, twist push/pull type carabiners in hopes we are turning or manipulating the carabiner in correct sequence. With gloved hands, zero visibility, and possible high heat conditions this could prove to be very difficult. Using a short section of webbing (3’-4’) we can slide it over one leg allowing it to draw up as close to the body and act just as a harness would. We can then clip the carabiner around the SCBA waist belt. Now we have our downed fireman packaged and ready to move. The same concept is utilized as far as packaging the traditional way, just a difference in application.

But, what if we run into the same downed fireman except this time he/ she does not have their waist belt connected?

We can use the same webbing, instead of trying to find and re-connect the waist belt, we will clip the carabiner on a SCBA shoulder strap.

Through trial and error with some added discussion from other firemen it seemed as if easier to connect the carabiner on the shoulder strap below the buckle. This allows the shoulder strap to be tightened down and makes for a positive connection with the carabiner, seeing as the strap is at its smallest width and thickness below the buckle.

If we try to attach above the buckle onto the actual strap that houses SCBA components we run the risk of not having a fully clipped’ carabiner on the shoulder strap.

As is opposite below the buckle, above the buckle the strap is very thick, stiff, and wide which may not allow for a good capture for the carabiner.

However you choose to make the conversion is up to you, as long as the the conversion IS made.

If we choose to forego packaging a downed fireman before traveling a significant distance we run the risk of allowing things to get worse and the snowball effect has potential to begin.