In March, TES² Instructors traveled to Mission, Texas to provide the final phase of RIT Training for the Mission Fire Department.  This two-day program marks the third program offered by TES² to the Mission Fire Department completing the three (3) part series of RIT training offered by TES² (Phase I – Saving Our Own – Firefighter Rescue Operations / Firefighter Survival Skills Training, Phase II – Search Line Survival / RIT Deployment Ops, Phase III – Managing the Fireground Mayday _ IMS, Fireground Accountability, Air Management, and Rescue Mayday Preparedness Training). The Managing the Fireground Mayday course included a multi-media lecture on RIT Operations and Fireground Command & Control, this was followed by 12 hours of in-depth hands-on training including numerous scenario-based exercises detailing RIT Deployment Operations, Air Management & Command and Control Operations.  The course was concluded with a full-scale structure fire response involving a commercial structure that required crews to initial attack lines, search crews, and truck crews for ventilation.  While conducting normal fireground operations an evacuation signal was sounded requiring all members to retreat from the structure.  Upon evacuating the structure, a personnel report (PAR) was conducted – one crewmember was confirmed to be missing.  An immediate risk assessment was conducted and RIT Teams were deployed in an effort to located and extract the downed member. The Mission Fire Department is unique in the fact that they required all members of the department to attend these courses including Fire Marshals and Administrative Staff officers in an effort to ensure compliance/understanding department wide.  Much of the funding for these courses was provided through two successful FIRE Act grants.  Kudos’ to Chief Saldana and the members of the Mission Fire Department for a job well done.  You are truly one of the elite. Chief Sendelbach and the staff of TES² would like to thank Lieutenant Joe Luna for his relentless dedication to firefighter safety and survival.  Lieutenant Luna managed the planning and organization of all three-course offerings over a three-year period.  Your dedication and gracious hospitality have not gone unnoticed.