RIT: Moving a Downed Firefighter Up Stairs

Building Options Before the Mayday

Rapid Intervention Team training has a way of humbling firefighters quickly. The work is slow, physical, awkward, and unforgiving. Moving a downed firefighter on flat ground is difficult enough. Moving that firefighter up a stairwell, in full PPE, on air, with limited visibility and poor communication, can become one of the most demanding tasks we face on the fireground.

This drill was designed around a simple but important objective: crews must demonstrate multiple methods for moving a downed firefighter up a stairwell while managing fatigue, limited visibility, and stress. The goal is not to prove that one technique is the best but rather prove that no single technique works every time and we must have a plan A, B, C, etc. Firefighters naturally default to what they know best. When the environment is controlled, heart rates are low, and the crew is fresh, most firefighters can make their preferred technique work. But the fireground does not always give us ideal conditions. Stairwells may be narrow, cluttered, dark, smoky, or difficult to communicate in. The downed firefighter may be poorly positioned. The rescuers may already be tired before the rescue even begins.

That is why this drill is built in layers. The first level allows firefighters to work through techniques while relatively fresh. The second level adds fatigue and then removes vision. The third level adds environmental stressors that disrupt communication and force crews to problem-solve under pressure. We are not adding difficulty just to make the drill harder. We are adding stressors because stress changes performance. As fatigue builds, coordination decreases. As heart rate climbs, decision-making becomes harder. As visibility is removed, simple movements become slower and communication becomes more important. As noise and obstacles are added, firefighters are forced to adapt instead of simply repeating a clean version of a technique.

The point is not to embarrass anyone or create chaos. The point is to expose firefighters to controlled discomfort so they can identify what works, what fails, and what needs more practice before the real call comes in.

Begin With the End in Mind

Before starting the drill, clearly explain the objective to the crew: Crews will demonstrate multiple methods for moving a downed firefighter up a stairwell while managing fatigue, limited visibility, and stress—without relying on a single technique.

A successful evolution is not always the fastest or smoothest. The value of this drill comes from testing options, communication, teamwork, and adaptability. Some of the best learning may come from the techniques that feel awkward or fail under fatigue.

Before the main evolution, allow time for a short “show and tell.” Have members share techniques they have used, seen, or trained on for moving a downed firefighter up stairs. One firefighter may prefer using the SCBA harness. Another may use webbing. Another may use a push-pull method, leg-drive technique, or modified drag. This portion of the drill builds the toolbox before testing the tools. It also reminds firefighters that a technique that looks good in a video may feel very different in full PPE, on air, in a tight stairwell, after your heart rate is elevated.

The Drill

All levels of this drill should be performed in full PPE and on air. If available, use a training mannequin. If a firefighter is used as the downed member, ensure the evolution is controlled, monitored, and safe.

Level 1: Technique and Repetition

Position the downed firefighter at the base of the stairwell. Two firefighters move the downed firefighter from the bottom to the top of one flight of stairs. Once both rescuers and the downed firefighter reach the top, rapidly reset the drill and the same two firefighters immediately repeat the evolution. The key requirement is that a different technique must be used to get the downed firefighter up the stairs each time.

This level gives firefighters the chance to compare techniques while physical load is increasing. The first movement may feel strong and controlled. By the second and third movement, fatigue begins to show. Grip strength fades. Breathing rate increases. Communication may become shorter and less clear. The requirement to use three different techniques prevents the crew from staying in their comfort zone. That is the point.

Level 2: Fatigue, Then Reduced Visibility

Level 2 begins the same way as Level 1. Firefighters complete the first two evolutions using different techniques. By this point, their heart rates should be elevated and fatigue should be setting in. On the third evolution, remove the rescuers’ vision using a BA shield or cling wrap.

This changes the drill immediately. Movements that were simple with sight become more difficult. Foot placement, hand placement, and communication become critical. Rescuers must slow down enough to maintain control but continue working with urgency. Reduced visibility forces the crew to feel the stairwell, communicate position, manage the downed firefighter’s movement, and maintain orientation. It also exposes weaknesses in techniques that depend too heavily on sight or perfect positioning.

Level 3: Stress, Noise, and Obstacles

Level 3 follows the same structure as Level 2 but adds external stressors. Add loud music or noise distractions to disrupt communication. Place safe obstacles in the stairwell such as gear, cones, towels, hose bundles, or laundry baskets. The obstacles should be challenging but not reckless. The goal is to force problem-solving, not create unnecessary injury risk.

Noise changes communication. Obstacles change movement. Reduced visibility changes orientation. Fatigue changes everything. This level more closely represents the disorder of a real fireground stairwell, where firefighters may be working around hose, debris, tools, other crews, smoke, alarms, radio traffic, and the sound of their own breathing inside the mask. The crew must still move the firefighter. They must still communicate. They must still manage air. They must still adapt.

Running the Drill

To keep the pace high, consider having a second victim or mannequin staged at the base of the stairs. As soon as the rescuers get the first victim to the top, they can immediately reset to the next victim without waiting for the first one to be carried back down.

Instructors should also consider using a time cap. Not every crew or firefighter will be ready for the full intensity of this drill. A time cap allows everyone to participate, receive the intended training stimulus, and disengage safely without unnecessary pressure or embarrassment if they cannot complete the full evolution.

The standard should be high, but the training environment must remain productive. We want firefighters pushed, not broken.

Debrief

The debrief is where the drill becomes more than hard work. Ask the crew:

What techniques worked best and why?
Which methods caused the most fatigue?
What changed once vision was removed?
What changed once noise and obstacles were added?
How did communication change as fatigue increased?
How would this translate to a real fireground stairwell?
Would your preferred method still work if you were low on air, in a narrow stairwell, or rescuing someone larger than you?

If music was used during the drill, ask firefighters if they remember what song was playing. This can lead into a discussion about stress, perception, and auditory exclusion. Under high stress, firefighters may miss sounds, radio traffic, or details that seemed obvious to someone watching from the outside.

Whether or not they remember the song is not the point. The point is to show that stress affects awareness. When the body is under load, the brain starts filtering information. Firefighters need to understand that their perception during a high-stress event may not be as complete as they think it is.

Conclusion

A downed firefighter rescue is not the time to discover that your crew only has one option. This drill gives departments a simple, low-cost way to challenge crews in a realistic and progressive manner. Start with technique. Add repetition. Add fatigue. Remove vision. Add stress. Then talk about what happened.

Do not let the first hard conversation about firefighter rescue happen after a Mayday. Have it on the training ground. Let firefighters feel the weight, frustration, air consumption, and communication breakdowns. Let them learn which techniques hold up and which ones fall apart.

A full training plan is available on the Iowa Firefighter Training Article Archive website: https://tinyurl.com/3a3kcyh8

-       Cole Kleinwolterink is a member of the Waukee Fire Department, Granger Fire Department, and Fire Science instructor at Des Moines Area Community College. Feel free to reach out to him at kleinwolterinkc@gmail.com with any questions, comments or inquiries.