The Westport and Fairfield Fire Departments have expanded their mutual aid agreements by providing automatic assistance in the form of a Rapid Intervention Team (R.I.T.) at the scene of a structure fire in each town. The concept of a Rapid Intervention Team is a group of Firefighters assigned to providing assistance to Firefighters should they become injured, lost, disoriented, trapped, or suffer a medical emergency while fighting a fire. The R.I.T. crew assembles specialized rescue tools and spare breathing air should the need arise and they become "activated".
Few towns have the available resources to provide this requirement so they are entering into agreements to provide this on a mutual aid basis. The Westport Fire Department already has in place an agreement with Wilton Fire Department for the northwest corner of town and is working on an agreement with Norwalk Fire Department for the remainder of the town.