Urban Search & Rescue
About Urban Search & Rescue
A FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force is a team of individuals which serve as a resource for disaster response at local, state, federal, and international levels. It is comprised mainly of firefighters but includes structural engineers, medical professionals, canine/handler teams and emergency managers with highly specialized training in urban search and rescue environments.
Utah Task Force 1 (UT-TF1) is one of 28 Type I, Federal Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) Task Forces in the United States. This program brings a highly trained, multi-hazard Task Force that is especially designed to respond to a variety of emergencies/disasters including earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, terrorist acts and hazardous material releases. Fire department personnel that are task force members receive specialized training and skills that directly benefit UFA.
UT-TF1 has provided the required structural collapse technician training that UFA’s heavy rescue specialists must have to be considered Heavy Rescue Technicians. UT-TF1 continues to partner with UFA for Special Operations program development and to enhance the technical expertise of many personnel within the department.
Division Leader
Special Operations Division Chief / Program Manager
Bryan Case

Organizational Structure

FY20/21 Accomplishments
Administrative
- Successful submission of FY2020 FEMA $1,024,000 Cooperative Agreement Grant
- Successful submit for $50,000 grant from State of Utah DHS/DEM
- Completion of annual Member Readiness Event involving all members
- Successful submit for reimbursement from FEMA for hurricane Laura & Oregon Wildfire deployments
- Response to eight national-level deployment events
- Completed on-boarding of members from West Jordan and South Jordan Fire Departments
- Added one new Task Force physician
- Enhanced relations with outside agencies
- Utah National Guard CERFP (CBRN Enhanced Response Force Packages)
- Utah Transit Authority
- State of Utah (SERT/EOC)
- Initial success with legislation to create an agreement with State DEM regarding in-state deployments
- UT-TF1 personnel supported in Advisory Org and IST appointments and a new appointment to advisory Org in Planning
Logistics
- Completed purchase of one last new light fleet vehicle
- Initiated purchase of a replacement prime mover Kenworth tractor
- Purchase of new rescue equipment with state grant funds
- Completed recertification of UT-TF1 logistics techs in AMFAN/IATA training
- Completed updates to iCODES account, Type I ARM airlift plans and Type 4 cache load plans
- Updated MOU with Salt Lake County for parking facility
- Updated MOU with AmerisourceBergen for pharmaceutical cache access and management
- New COVID-related PPE for all members
Deployments
- Hurricane Laura – Louisiana, Type I. Activated 8/26/2020; deployed 80 personnel by ground
- Tropical Cyclone Sally – Louisiana, IST. Activated 9/12/2020; deployed one member
- Tropical Storm Delta – Louisiana, IST. Activated 10/6/2020; deployed two members
- Tropical Storm Zeta – Louisiana, IST. Activated 10/28/2020; deployed one member
- Tropical Storm Douglas – Hawaii, IST. Activated 7/24/2020; deployed one member
- Magna Earthquake – Utah, MRP. Activated 3/18/2020; deployed 17 members
- Oregon Wildfires – Oregon, Type I. Activated 9/12/2020; deployed 80 members by ground
- Presidential Inaugural events – Virginia, IST. Activated 1/14/2021; deployed one member
Training (restricted greatly due to COVID/FEMA US&R system suspension of meetings/trainings)
- Completed nearly 8000 hours of TF training in 2020
- 137 members attended FEMA US&R discipline specific training in 2020
- Attended joint Alaska cold-weather exercise w/UTNG (February 2020)
- Completed 274 hours of canine specific training for 15 members
- Completed Water Rescue training for 70 members
- Completed 88 hour so WRS/Boat Ops training for 43 members
- Completed Canine FSA, EOCE, FEMA Hazmat EOCE training sessions
- Completed breach/break refresher training for 22 members
- Completed member readiness event for all TF members
- Two mock deployments of MRP-W (Swift Water) to Moab
FY21/22 Action Items
* some carryover from FY20/21 due to COVID
- Increase number of deployable and trained task force members, goal max of 200
- Complete con-boarding of members from new participating agencies
- Increase the number of Live Find/Human Remains capable canine teams to twelve by December 2021
- Conduct multiple modular/Mission Ready Package – Water (MRP-W) deployment exercises for at least 70 members of the task force in 2021
- Exercise all phases of five Operation Readiness Exercise Evaluation Program (OREEP) mobilization modules for measurement of task force abilities and identify areas of improvement
- Continuation of Task Force Leaders (TFLs) training; specific areas of responsibility and safety within the task force to enhance program awareness of critical task force needs
- Update the task force three-year strategic plan by December 2021
- Identify additional funding sources (i.e. grants) for which UT-TF1 will qualify
- Review all current agreements and MOU’s and update as necessary
- Pursue funding solutions (through legislative means) on behalf of ESF9 desk at both Salt Lake County and State Division of Emergency Management positions
- Assess current capability of UT-TF1 training facilities against future needs by January of each year and incorporate into annual budget process for UFA
- Conduct Rescue Specialists Structural Collapse Specialists course in June 2021
- Complete purchase of a replacement Kenworth tractor vehicle by August 2021
- Further discussions with the State of Utah for a dedicated funding source (ongoing)
- Extend annual recruiting efforts among all UT-TF1 participating agencies
- Development of a committee that includes a representative from each UT-TF1participating agency
- Further employ UT-TF1 supervisory members into projects/roles to support task force administration efforts