AS PER REQUEST ABOUT U.S.A.R.

An Urban Search and Rescue Team or better known as Task Force (USAR Task Force) is a group of trained personnel specializing in SAR, disaster response and recovery, and emergency field management employing triage and medical interventions. Ideally, in an incident requiring USAR TF must be deployed within six hours of notification.

I: USAR Configuration

Each Task Force is capable of deploying as a Type I with 70 personnel or a Type III with 28 personnel. This deployment configuration is increased if the Task Force mobilizes for a ground transport.

Each task force member is a specialist in one of four areas:

1. Search – locating victims of a disaster

2. Rescue – extricating a victim from the location where they are trapped, usually involving removing debris from around the victim

3. Technical – structural specialists who provide engineering support for the rescuers

4. Medical – providing medical treatment for the team, canines and victims before, during and after rescue

The search and rescue personnel are organized into four Rescue Squads, each composed of an Officer and five Rescue Specialists, and are capable of working 12-hour alternating shifts. The medical personnel include two task force physicians and four Medical Specialists.

II: USAR Capabilities

1. Type 4 (Basic) Operational Level

represents the minimum capability to conduct safe and effective search and rescue operations like Incidents involving non-structural entrapment in non-collapsed structures

2. Type 3 (Light) Operational Level represents the minimum capability to conduct safe and effective search and rescue operations like Structure collapse incidents involving the collapse and failure of Light Frame Construction and low angle and vertical rope rescue

3. Type 2 (Medium) Operational Level represents the minimum capability to conduct safe and effective search and rescue operations like Structure collapse incidents involving the collapse and failure of Heavy Wall construction, high angle rope rescue (excluding highline systems), confined space rescue (no permit required), and trench and excavation rescue

4. Type 1 (Heavy) Operational Level represents the minimum capability to conduct safe and effective search and rescue operations like Structure collapse incidents involving the collapse and failure of Heavy Floor, Pre-cast Concrete and Steel Frame construction, high angle rope rescue (including highline systems), confined space rescue (permit required), and mass transportation rescue

III: USAR Task Force equipage

FEMA has created a standardized list of equipment that each Task Force maintains. The 16,400 pieces of equipment are cached and palletized for quick access and transportation. The complete load of equipment weighs 60,000 pounds (27,215 kg) and is designed to be transported by tractor trailer or in the cargo hold of one C-141 transport aircraft or two C-130 transport aircraft.

The equipment cache allows the Task Force to operate independently for up to four days. The cache contains five categories of equipment: Medical, Search and Rescue, Communications, Technical Support and Logistics.

1. Medical

The medical portion of the cache includes medical treatment and tools to provide sophisticated medical treatment for victims and task force members, including limited treatment of disaster search canines. The treatment materials are designed to be enough to handle 10 critical cases, 15 moderate cases and 25 minor cases.

Items included in the medical cache are medicines, intravenous fluids, blankets, suture sets, airways, tracheal tubes, defibrillators, burn treatment supplies, bone saws and scalpels. On site, the “durable” medical equipment will stay with the Task Force when patients are transferred to other medical facilities. The local medical facilities must provide their own medical equipment as the equipment may be needed again by the Task Force.[2]

2. Search and Rescue Tools

The Search and Rescue portion of the cache contains all the equipment that the Search and Rescue teams will need to extricate victims from debris. Technical search tools include Life Locators, Drones and other robotic Sensors, telescopic cameras with heat detecting sensors and seismic listening devices (Delsar).

Construction type equipment such as concrete saws, jackhammers, drills and rope, and technical rescue type equipment such as lifting airbags, shore systems, and hydraulic rescue tools. Non-reusable shoring material such as lumber and pipe is not included in the cache and is to be found or acquired at the disaster site.

3. Communications

Generators, lights, radios, cellular phones, Satellite pnones, ruggedized laptop computers Task Force personnel will be issued portable radios at the point of departure to a disaster and are responsible for that radio until the Task Force returns to the point of departure. The radios operate in the 403-430 MHz range and are capable of penetrating structures and below grade environments (i.e. underground).

4. Technical support

Snake-like cameras, fiberscopes, Drones with camreras, sensitive listening devices, measuring devices such as laser rangefinders, strain gauges and levels; audio-visual equipment such as still and video cameras, LCD projectors; haz-mat equipment and support equipment for canines such as kennels, harnesses and sleeping pads.

5. Logistics

Sleeping bags, cots, containers or tents, fuel, SCBA tanks and refilling unit, lighting systems, lumbers, food and water, as well as cold weather gear, portable toilets, portable showers, heavy equipment like cranes and payloaders, safety equipment such as gloves, earplugs, kneepads, respirators and protective eyewear; administrative equipment such as office supplies and reference materials; equipment maintenance materials and Task Force member’s personal gear.