Indianapolis, Indiana - July 2005
In 1989, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) learned they were somewhat shorthanded in dealing with two significant disasters. That year, America endured the Loma Prieta Earthquake centered in San Francisco and Hurricane Hugo which struck North and South Carolina, and Virginia. The disasters combined required more than $2 billion of relief funding from FEMA alone.

Consequently, FEMA led the charge for the development of 28 Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Forces strategically spread between 19 states. These task forces are deployed by FEMA for the rescue of victims of structural collapse.

Indiana Selected for Task Force
In Indiana, the Marion County Rescue Task Force (known as Indiana Task Force One) is voluntarily staffed by 210 individuals, 55 of which are civilians. "Firefighters make up the rescue component, while civilians primarily serve in the communications, logistics, and canine search teams," explains Bill Brown, Task Force Coordinator for the past two years and a battalion chief for the Indianapolis Fire Department. The Indiana canine team is considered the premier team in the country. Indianapolis serves as the sponsoring agency and all Marion County and the surrounding contiguous county fire departments are eligible to join the team which is coordinated by three additional full-time personnel. These include Rick McKinney in logistics, Tom Neal in training, and Dawn Sykes in human resource and financial management. The minimum age to join is 21 and membership decisions are based upon the interview process, credentials, and recommendations. A recent recruiting process aims to acquire up to an additional 40 members out of about 60 applicants.

Teams Ready on Short Notice
Indiana Task Force One is composed of five divisions. They are Search, Rescue, Hazardous Materials, Medical, and Logistics. The team typically averages a call-out once every 2 years and must be ready on a 4-hour notice. They serve as a local resource for emergencies and can be activated by the Governor or the President via activation orders.

Personnel are activated as a Type I or Type III Team. Type I is considered a full deployment of 80 team members. Type III teams are used for light deployments such as rapid needs assessments and entail about 32 members. The training and all services provided by US&R Task Forces is standardized. Training occurs monthly by division and then quarterly for combined training for the complete team. Annually, a mock deployment is practiced to evaluate operational readiness. Twice a year, a meeting is held for representatives from all task forces nationally.

Before 9-11, the largest US&R deployment in U.S. history, the annual budget for US&R Task Force Teams was only $150,000. Since then, it has swelled to over $1 million annually.

Health is Monitored Closely
Medical evaluations are an important aspect of the program. Medical work groups coordinated by FEMA establish standards for each team which are then submitted to the Department of Homeland Security for approval. All team members are required to participate in annual medical evaluations which include comprehensive physicals, and medical testing, complete blood work and special blood testing, vaccinations, and chest x-rays. "Personnel like the fact that the standards are much higher than a basic physical," states Dawn Sykes.

Bill Brown emphasizes that one of the most rewarding aspects of serving on the team is the camaraderie and level of professionalism represented. "These are the elite search and rescue providers in the country," he states.

Click here for the Indiana Task Force One newsletter article.

For more information on the Indiana Task Force One, visit online by clicking here.

© 2006 Public Safety Medical Services