Liverpool Fire Department Mutual aid to Baldwinsville - Rapid Intervention Team (R.I.T.)

    On Tuesday, February 2, 2004 at approximately 6:45 pm, Liverpool Station #3 was dispatched to a reported barn fire located behind a house in the village of Baldwinsville. Upon arrival, the first chief called a "99." E3 responded in lieu of S3 as we were out for the business meeting. The crew consisted of Lt. Thompson, Mark Kaplan, Scott McFarland, Gene Balcum, Chief John Muldoon and Capt. Chris Frani assembled their RIT tools and began a survey assessment. A few minutes later they heard the words over the radio that they will never forget. ..."mayday, fireman down."  They grabbed everything they could carry and ran to side 4 of the structure and found a firefighter face down in the snow. The crew was "peeling" away the outside of the structure and a support beam broke free and hit the firefighter on the head, knocking him completely around and dazed. The RIT sprang into action by removing the beam, stabilizing the firefighter and removing his pack and gear. They proceeded to collar and backboard the FF, who was complaining of back and arm pain. Then came the "long" walk through three feet of snow to the waiting ambulance. Capt. Frani said: "Let me tell you from experience, it took 7 strong men to carry out one firefighter, and we were all "wipped" when we got to the ambulance.