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California Task Force 7, the Sacramento Urban Search And Rescue
Team, is comprised of team members from Sacramento
Metropolitan Fire District,
Sacramento Fire Department, West Sacramento Fire and El Dorado County
Fire Protection District.
Urban Search and Rescue involves the location, rescue
(extrication), and initial medical stabilization of victims trapped in
confined spaces.
Urban Search and Rescue is considered a multi-hazard discipline, as
it may be needed for a variety of emergencies or disasters, including
earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, storms and tornadoes, floods, dam
failures, technological accidents, terrorist activities, and hazardous
materials releases.
Urban Search And Rescue is Emergency Support Function 9 (ESF-9),
under the Federal Response Plan. The National
US&R Response System is a framework for structuring existing emergency
services personnel from the local level into integrated disaster
response task forces. These community-based Search and Rescue teams
take advantage of the preexisting organizations that support them, and
emergency services personnel already doing this work on a day-to-day
basis. In all, there are 28 US&R task forces. In addition to being a federal resource when
activated by FEMA, all eight California Task Forces can be utilized as
a state resource by The California
Office Of Emergency Services (OES).
Who Comprises A US&R Task Force?
A US&R Task Force is comprised of 62 specialists, and is divided
into four major functional elements:
 Search
Rescue
Technical
Medical
Team members include structural engineers, hazardous
materials specialists, heavy rigging specialists, search specialists
(including highly trained search dogs), logistics specialists, rescue
specialists, four medical specialists and two physicians. By design,
there are two personnel assigned to each position for the rotation and
relief of personnel. This allows for round-the-clock task force
operations. The Task Force is supported by a comprehensive equipment
cache totaling 60,000 pounds.
Capabilities Of A US&R Task Force
Physical search and rescue
operations in damaged/collapsed structures.
Emergency medical care to disaster
response personnel.
Emergency medical care to the
injured.
Reconnaissance to assess damage
and needs and provide feedback to local, state, and federal officials.
Assessment/shut off of utilities
to houses and buildings.
Hazardous materials
surveys/evaluations.
Structural/hazard evaluations of
government/municipal buildings needed for immediate occupancy to
support disaster relief operations.
Stabilization of damaged
structures, including shoring and cribbing operations, on damaged
buildings.
California Task Force-7 has been mobilized six times:
Oklahoma City Bombing
We were one of the first US&R teams mobilized after the Oklahoma City
bombing, and arrived in Oklahoma City about 13 hours after the blast.
During the seven day activation we worked side by side with other US&R
teams in support of the Oklahoma City Fire Department's rescue
efforts. For more information about the Oklahoma City bombing, see the
Oklahoma
City bombing resource page sponsored by the Internet Disaster
Information Network.
Yosemite Rock Slide
The Yosemite Rock Slide occurred approximately at 6:45pm on July 10,
1996. It is estimated that 30 tons of granite fell from Glacier Point
creating 300mph winds which knocked down over 300 trees over an area
one-quarter mile wide. California Office of Emergency Services
deployed a rapid response team consisting of 14 US&R personnel.
This unit was comprised of search and rescue specialists as well as
one physician and two paramedics. Fortunately, this potentially
devastating event resulted in only 6 serious injuries and one
fatality.
Atlanta Olympics
For the Atlanta Olympics, FEMA deployed a total of 12 US&R teams
(three teams a week for four weeks). All teams were staged at the Cobb
County fairgrounds just outside Atlanta, in anticipation of a
catastrophic event.
California 96-97 Floods
During the California 96-97 Floods SWRT's from all 8 California
US&R task forces were mobilized.
World Trade Center, New York
Read about US&R Task Force 7 deployment to New
York.
President Bush Recognizes Urban Search
& Rescue Team
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