Kingston Firefighters Prepare for Rapid Response

Firefighters from the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company completed advanced training in Rapid Intervention Company Operations and Incident Management this summer.

 Firefighters Christopher Ciabattone and Agostino Racanati; Captain Gary Rustico and Chief Lloyd Mathis completed a Rapid Intervention Company (RIC) Awareness and Operations joint training with members of the Rocky Hill Fire Department. 

The 28-hour course was taught by Instructors from the Somerset County Fire Academy. A Rapid Intervention Company is a qualified crew of firefighters whose main responsibility is to standby on the exterior of the building in the unfortunate event that a firefighter goes down. 

More firefighters die in residential occupancies than in any other type of structure fire and are typically the most common type of occupancy that firefighters encounter. Both the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) have requirements for some type of RIC at structure fires.

Captain Gary Rustico, Lieutenant Robert Weissman and Chief Lloyd Mathis completed the Command & Control of Incident Operations course on Aug. 9. In this six-day course, fire officers review the Incident Command System and study proper fire command techniques for control and extinguishment of fires ranging from small, residential structures to multi-occupancy and commercial complexes. 

Topics covered include problem-solving and fire command, interagency and mutual aid incident management, size up, strategy and tactics, incident action plans, truck company operations, engine company operations, building construction and fire behavior, pre-incident preparation, incident organization, and strategic command. Special emphasis is placed on firefighter safety.  

All three men used vacation time from their full time careers to attend.

Firefighter Ciabattone has been a member since 2009. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business & Technology from the Stevens Institute of Technology. 

Firefighter Racanati has been a member since October 2010. Firefighter Racanati has a Bachelor in Electrical Engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School.

Lt. Weissman has been a member since 2012 and previously served in East Brunswick Township. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Temple University and a Master’s degree in Industrial Health and Safety from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Capt. Rustico has been a member since 2002 and is a Master Steamfitter/Plumber. He has an Associate degree in Business Administration from Brooklyn College 

Chief Mathis has been a member since October, 1986 and a previous graduate of a number of NFA courses. He holds an Associate Degree in Physical Science from Valley Forge Military College. 

Both courses are very comprehensive and use lectures, case studies, simulations, and student participation as instructional methods.  

Anyone interested in joining the professional volunteers in the Kingston Fire Company can email NewMembership@kingstonfireco.com.

The National Fire Academy is located on the grounds of the National Emergency Training Center, a 107-acre campus that also houses the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and the United State Fire Administration Headquarters (USFA) in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The USFA, EMI and NFA are all part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency.   

The center is 12 miles south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; 50 miles northwest of Baltimore, Maryland; and 50 miles north of Washington, D.C. All costs associated for travel, lodging and course materials are reimbursed by the federal government. 

For additional information about the National Fire Academy and its curriculum, go to www.usfa.dhs.gov.

--Kingston Volunteer Fire Company