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