FEMA allied Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Teams

2011 HURRICANE IRENE

Assisting -
• National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Massachusetts Task Force 1 (MA TF-1) continues to assist the state of Vermont with search and rescue; and Pennsylvania Task Force 1 (PA TF-1) and Ohio Task Force 1 (OH-TF1) assist the state of New York with search and rescue efforts in Schoharie, New York.

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Here's a more complete list of contacts:

http://www.pa-tf1.com/fedtf.htm

If a disaster event warrants national US&R support, FEMA will deploy the three closest task forces within six hours of notification, and additional teams as necessary. The role of these task forces is to support state and local emergency responders' efforts to locate victims and manage recovery operations.

Each task force consists of two 31-person teams, four canines, and a comprehensive equipment cache. US&R task force members work in four areas of specialization: search, to find victims trapped after a disaster; rescue, which includes safely digging victims out of tons of collapsed concrete and metal; technical, made up of structural specialists who make rescues safe for the rescuers; and medical, which cares for the victims before and after a rescue.

In addition to search-and-rescue support, FEMA provides hands-on training in search-and-rescue techniques and equipment, technical assistance to local communities, and in some cases federal grants to help communities better prepare for urban search-and-rescue operations.

The bottom line in urban search-and-rescue - someday lives may be saved because of the skills these rescuers gain. These first responders consistently go to the front lines when America needs them most. We should be proud to have them as a part of our community.

Not only are these first responders a national resource that can be deployed to a major disaster or structural collapse anywhere in the country. They are also the local firefighters and paramedics who answer when you call 911 at home in your local community.

National Response Plan
Under the National Response Plan, US&R teams will provide urban search and rescue and life-saving assistance following major domestic incidents.

Emergency Support Function Resources
US&R History
In the early 1980s, the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue and Metro-Dade County Fire Department created elite search-and-rescue (US&R) teams trained for rescue operations in collapsed buildings. Working with the United States State Department and Office of Foreign Disaster Aid, these teams provided vital search-and-rescue support for catastrophic earthquakes in Mexico City, the Philippines and Armenia.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) established the National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Response System in 1989 as a framework for structuring local emergency services personnel into integrated disaster response task forces.

In 1991, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) incorporated this concept into the Federal Response Plan (now the National Response Plan), sponsoring 25 national urban search-and-rescue task forces.

Events such as the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City, the Northridge earthquake, the Kansas grain elevator explosion in 1998 and earthquakes in Turkey and Greece in 1999 underscore the need for highly skilled teams to rescue trapped victims.

The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 thrust FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) teams into the spotlight. Their important work transfixed a world and brought a surge of gratitude and support.

Today there are 28 national task forces staffed and equipped to conduct round-the-clock search-and-rescue operations following earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, aircraft accidents, hazardous materials spills and catastrophic structure collapses. These task forces, complete with necessary tools and equipment, and required skills and techniques, can be deployed by FEMA for the rescue of victims of structural collapse.

Past Deployments
Olympic Games in Utah, 2002
World Trade Center and Pentagon Disaster
Murrah Federal Building, Oklahoma City Bombing, 1995
Humberto Vidal Building Explosion, 1996
1999 Tornados - Oklahoma
Earthquakes - Turkey
Hurricane Floyd - North Carolina
Northridge Earthquake - Los Angeles, California
Hurricane Opal - Ft. Walton Beach, FL
DeBruce Grain elevator explosion - Wichita, Kansas
Hurricane Iniki - Kauai, Hawaii

Profile of a Rescue
While every search-and-rescue assignment is unique, a rescue might go something like this:

Response always begins at the local level. Local fire departments, emergency management, and local and state law enforcement are the first to arrive at the scene and begin rescue and response.
Following a disaster the local emergency manager may request assistance from the state; if the need is great, the state may in turn requests federal assistance; in the event of a major disaster, FEMA deploys three of the closest task forces.
After arriving at the site, structural specialists, who are licensed professional engineers charged with making the rescue safe for the rescuers. They provide direct input to the FEMA task force members about structural integrity of the building and the risk of secondary collapses.
Heavy equipment is used to remove large rubble and debris that could injure rescue workers and impede rescue operations.
The search team ventures around and into the collapsed structure, carefully shoring up structures while attempting to locate trapped victims. Rescuers use electronic listening devices, extremely small search cameras and specially trained search dogs to help locate victims.
Once a victim is located, the search group begins the daunting task of breaking and cutting through thousands of pounds of concrete, metal, and wood to reach the victims. They also stabilize and support the entry and work areas with wood shoring to prevent further collapse.
Medical teams, composed of trauma physicians, emergency room nurses and paramedics, provide medical care for the victims as well as the rescuers. A fully stocked mobile emergency room is part of the task force equipment cache. Medics may be required to enter the dangerous interior of the collapsed structure to render immediate aid.
Throughout the effort hazardous materials specialists evaluate the disaster site, and decontaminate rescue and medical members who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals or decaying bodies.
Heavy rigging specialists direct the use of heavy machinery, such as cranes and bulldozers. These specialists understand the special dangers of working in a collapsed structure, and help to ensure the safety of the victims and rescuers inside.
Technical information and communication specialists ensure that all team members can communicate with each other and the task force leaders, facilitating search efforts and coordinating evacuation in the event of a secondary collapse.
Logistics specialists handle the more than 16,000 pieces of equipment to support the search and extrication of the victims. The equipment cache includes such essentials as concrete cutting saws, search cameras, medical supplies, and tents, cots, food and water to keep the task force self-sufficient for up to four days.

Emergency Support Function #9
see links for each of the following at:
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/usr/esf9.shtm

Urban Search and Rescue
Resource: Air Search Team (Fixed-Wing)
Resource: Airborne Reconnaissance (Fixed-Wing)
Resource: Canine Search and Rescue Team – Avalanche Snow Air Scent
Resource: Canine Search and Rescue Team – Disaster Response
Resource: Canine Search and Rescue Team – Land Cadaver Air Scent
Resource: Canine Search and Rescue Team – Water Air Scent
Resource: Canine Search and Rescue Team – Wilderness Air Scent
Resource: Canine Search and Rescue Team–Wilderness – Tracking/Trailing
Resource: Cave Search and Rescue Team
Resource: Collapse Search and Rescue Teams
Resource: Collapse Search and Rescue Teams
Resource: Mine and Tunnel Search and Rescue Team
Resource: Mountain Search and Rescue Team
Resource: Radio Direction Finding Team
Resource: Swift Water/Flood Search and Dive Rescue Team
Resource: US&R Incident Support Team
Resource: US&R Task Forces
Resource: Wilderness Search and Rescue Team

US&R Participants
There are many participants in the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System. These participants can be grouped into three main categories.

FEMA - establishes policy and leads the coordination of the national system
Task Forces - there are 28 FEMA US&R Task Forces spread throughout the continental United States trained and equipped by FEMA to handle structural collapse. Incident Support Teams - support the US&R Task Forces in accomplishing their mission through logistical, electronic and coordination expertise. For every US&R task force, there are 62 positions. But to be sure a full team can respond to an emergency, a typical task force has at the ready more than 130 highly-trained members.

These teams, comprised of firefighters, engineers, medical professionals, canine/handler teams and emergency managers with special training in urban search-and-rescue environments, serve as a national resource for disaster response. The task force is really a partnership between state fire departments, law enforcement agencies, federal and local governmental agencies and private companies.

A task force is totally self-sufficient for the first 72 hours of a deployment.

What the task force can do:
Conduct physical search and rescue in collapsed buildings
Emergency medical care to trapped victims
Search-and-rescue dogs
Assessment and control of gas, electric service and hazardous materials
Evaluation and stabilization of damaged structures

Location teams:
see links for some of these teams at:
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/usr/locations.shtm

Arizona
AZ-TF1
Phoenix, Arizona

California
CA-TF1
LA City Fire Dept.

CA-TF2
LA County Fire Dept.

CA-TF3
Menlo Park Fire Department

CA-TF4
Oakland Fire Dept.

CA-TF5
Orange Co. Fire Authority http://www.catf5.org/

CA-TF6
Riverside Fire Department

CA-TF7
Sacramento Fire Dept.

CA-TF8
San Diego Fire Dept. http://www.firesafe.com/sdfd_usar.html

Colorado
CO-TF1
State of Colorado

Florida
FL-TF1
Miami-Dade Fire Dept.

FL-TF2
Miami Fire Dept.

Indiana
IN-TF1
Marion County

Maryland
MD-TF1
Montgomery Fire Rescue

Massachusetts
MA-TF1
City of Beverly

Missouri
MO-TF1
Boone County Fire Protection District

Nebraska
NE-TF1
Lincoln Fire Dept.

Nevada
NV-TF1
Clark County Fire Dept.

New Mexico
NM-TF1
State of New Mexico

New York
NY-TF1
NYC Fire and EMS, Police

Ohio
OH-TF1
Miami Valley US&R

Pennsylvania
PA-TF1
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Tennessee
TN-TF1
Memphis Fire Dept.

Texas
TX-TF1
State of Texas Urban Search & Rescue

Utah
UT-TF1
Salt Lake Fire Dept.

Virginia
VA-TF1
Fairfax Co. Fire&Rescue Dept.

VA-TF2
Virginia Beach Fire Dept.

Washington
WA-TF1
Puget Sound Task Force