Although the City of Norfolk, Department of Fire-Rescue (NFR) had utilized a rapid intervention team (RIT) at structure fires for the past ten years, the department's RIT operations had never been evaluated. The failure to identify needed improvements in RIT operations could have lead to an adverse impact on the safety of its firefighters. The research produced recommendations for the RIT operation that would improve NFR's operational readiness. Descriptive research determined the present status and generated a foundation for the correct course of action. Research was focused on the standards or guidelines for fire department RIT operations, requirements of the RIT member, how other fire department agencies evaluated RIT operations, and the performance of NFR RIT operations.The research procedures included an extensive literature review, data analysis of internal and external feedback questions, and data analysis of department wide RIT company proficiency drills. The comparison of literature review and research results clearly identified that changes were needed in the NFR RIT operation. Recommendations for improvements were focused in three core areas: staffing, equipment and training requirements. Any future research should be focused on improving the operational readiness of RIT by creating true performance measurements using operational events.