81-Strong Bay Area Urban Search & Rescue Task Force Is Coming Home

From the Menlo Park Fire Department: The 81 Person Bay Area Urban Search and Rescue Task Force is returning home from Florida.

The Team was staged at Eglin Air Force Base where they rode out Hurricane Irma along with other FEMA Task Forces from San Diego, Nebraska and New Jersey, all whom have now been demobilized and are returning home.

Task Force Leader Mike Shaffer with the Menlo Park Fire District, a Veteran of the Teams response to Hurricane Katrina, said “the team filled their time here preparing for any type of potential Search and Rescue mission tasking, we also used the opportunity to conduct small group and full team trainings.

"I’m not disappointed we weren’t needed, some of us lived that during Hurricane Katrina. It’s a good sign because while we were prepared for a worst case scenario and everyone was ready to help, you don’t want to see the type of human suffering we witnessed and experienced in New Orleans during Katrina."

The Team now begins a 2,465 mile journey back to Menlo Park with a convoy of 2 buses, 11 vehicles 7 equipment trailers and over 60,000 pounds of Search and Rescue equipment.

Who was deployed and what agencies helped out? (keep scrolling!)

Task Force Leader – Division Chief Mike Shaffer – Menlo Park Fire District

Task Force Leader – Battalion Chief Joe Crivello – San Jose Fire Department

• Safety Officer – Milpitas Fire Department
• Safety Officer –Search Team Manager – Civilian Professional
• Search Team Manager - Menlo Park Fire District
• Technical Search Specialist – Central San Mateo County Fire Department
• Technical Search Specialist - Civilian Professional
• K-9 Team – South San Francisco Fire Department
• K-9 Team – San Francisco Fire Department
• K-9 Team - San Francisco Fire Department
• K-9 Team - San Francisco Fire Department
• Rescue Team Manager – Central San Mateo County Fire Department
• Rescue Team Manager - Civilian Professional
• Rescue Squad Officer A - Menlo Park Fire District
• Rescue Squad A - Menlo Park Fire District
• Rescue Squad A - Menlo Park Fire District
• Rescue Squad A – San Jose Fire Department
• Rescue Squad A – Central San Mateo County Fire Department
• Rescue Squad A – Milpitas Fire Department
• Rescue Squad Officer B – Central San Mateo County Fire Department
• Rescue Squad B - Central San Mateo County Fire Department
• Rescue Squad B – Mountain View Fire Department
• Rescue Squad B – Mountain View Fire Department
• Rescue Squad B – Santa Clara City Fire Department
• Rescue Squad B - Civilian Professional
• Rescue Squad Officer C – Central San Mateo County Fire Department
• Rescue Squad C - South San Francisco Fire Department
• Rescue Squad C – San Mateo Fire Department
• Rescue Squad C - San Jose Fire Department
• Rescue Squad C - San Mateo Fire Department
• Rescue Squad C – Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety
• Rescue Squad Officer D – Santa Clara County Fire District
• Rescue Squad D – Redwood City Fire Department
• Rescue Squad D - San Jose Fire Department
• Rescue Squad D - San Jose Fire Department
• Rescue Squad D - San Jose Fire Department
• Rescue Squad D - South San Francisco Fire Department
• Heavy Rigging Specialist - Civilian Professional
• Heavy Rigging Specialist – Woodside Fire Protection District
• Hazardous Materials Manager - Genentech
• Hazardous Materials Manager - Civilian Professional
• Hazardous Materials Specialist – Santa Clara County Fire District
• Hazardous Materials Specialist – Santa Clara County Fire District
• Hazardous Materials Specialist – Santa Clara County Fire District
• Hazardous Materials Specialist – Santa Clara County Fire District
• Hazardous Materials Specialist – Santa Clara County Fire District
• Hazardous Materials Specialist – Palo Alto Fire Department
• Hazardous Materials Specialist – SRI International
• Hazardous Materials Specialist – Civilian Professional
• Medical Team Manager - Doctor
• Medical Team Manager – Doctor
• Medical Specialist - Santa Clara City Fire Department
• Medical Specialist - Santa Clara City Fire Department
• Medical Specialist - Santa Clara City Fire Department
• Medical Specialist - Woodside Fire Protection District
• Logistics Manager - Civilian Professional
• Logistics Manager - Menlo Park Fire District
• Logistics Specialist - Central San Mateo County Fire Department
• Logistics Specialist - Menlo Park Fire District
• Logistics Specialist - Civilian Professional
• Logistics Specialist - San Mateo Fire Department
• Communications Specialist – SRI International
• Communications Specialist – Genentech
• Plans Team Manager – Santa Clara City Fire Department
• Plans Team Manager – Monterey Fire Department
• Structural Specialist – Civilian Professional
• Structural Specialist - Civilian Professional
• Technical Information Specialist - Civilian Professional
• Technical Information Specialist - Menlo Park Fire District
• Class A Truck Driver - Civilian Professional
• Class A Truck Driver - San Jose Fire Department
• Class A Truck Driver - San Jose Fire Department
• Class A Truck Driver - San Jose Fire Department
• Class A Truck Driver - San Jose Fire Department
• Class A Truck Driver - Central San Mateo County Fire Department
• Class A Truck Driver - Palo Alto Fire Department
• Class A Truck Driver - Menlo Park Fire District
• Finance/Human Remains Dog – Mountain View Fire Department
• Mechanic - Menlo Park Fire District
• Drone Operations - Menlo Park Fire District
• Incident Support Team – Division Group Supervisor - Civilian Professional

In total – Sharing the experience and opportunities to serve the Nation:

• Menlo Park Fire Protection District – 10 Personnel
• Central San Mateo County Fire Department – 8
• City of Monterey Fire Department – 1
• Palo Alto Fire Department – 2
• San Mateo Fire Department – 3
• Genentech – 2
• Milpitas Fire Department – 2
• Mountain View Fire Department – 4 (K9)
• Redwood City Fire Department – 1
• San Francisco Fire Department – 3 (K9 Teams)
• San Jose Fire Department – 10
• Santa Clara City Fire Department – 5
• Santa Clara County Fire Protection District – 6
• SRI International – 2
• South San Francisco Fire Department -3 (K9)
• Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety – 1
• Woodside Fire Protection District – 2
• Civilian Professionals - 16

Prior Deployments to the Nation’s most significant emergencies:

• 1991 Hurricane Iniki, Type 1, CA OES Mutual Aid
• 1993 Acceptance as a FEMA US&R Task Force
• 1993 Northridge Earthquake, Type 1
• 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, Type 1
• 1998 Hurricane Georges, IST
• 2001 World Trade Center, Type 1
• 2002 Winter Olympics, IST support
• 2003 Hurricane Isabel, IST support
• 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia, Canine, IST
• 2004 G-8 Summit, IST
• 2004 Republican National Convention, IST
• 2004 Democratic National Convention, IST
• 2004 Hurricane Charley, IST
• 2004 Hurricane Frances, IST
• 2004 Hurricane Ivan, IST
• 2005 Hurricane Dennis, IST
• 2005 Hurricane Katrina, Type 1, MPFD Water Rescue Team, IST
• 2005 Hurricane Rita, IST
• 2005 Hurricane Wilma, IST
• 2006 Hurricane Ernesto, Type 3, ISTXI
• 2007 Kansas Tornadoes, IST
• 2008 Hurricane Gustav, Type 3, IST
• 2008 Hurricane Ike, IST
• 2008 Hurricane Edouard, IST
• 2008 Republican National Convention, IST
• 2010 Hurricane Earl, IST
• 2010 San Bruno PG&E Gas Main Explosion
• 2014 Washington Mudslide
• 2014 Operation Alaskan Shield
• 2016 Hurricane Matthew, IST
• 2017 Hurricane Harvey, Water Rescue
• 2017 Hurricane Irma, Type 1 and IST

Task Force Mission

To build, sustain, and improve the ability to coordinate and provide the core Federal structural collapse (urban) SAR response capability and all risk profile needed to save lives and reduce suffering in communities throughout the Nation that have been overwhelmed by the impact of a significant emergency incident.

The System saves lives during structural collapse responses using state-of-the-art strategies, techniques, and equipment. It integrates the efforts of Sponsoring Agencies, the Federal Government, and first responders under the National Response Plan. System resources use the National Incident Management System (NIMS) to work with on-scene authorities to deliver a full range of rescue functions in all-hazards environments. The hallmark of the System is rapid response founded on careful operational and logistics planning, state-of-the-art equipment, effective training, and exercising that values seconds, minutes and hours.

System resources are capable of a wide variety of services and are equipped and trained to conduct different aspects of structural collapse and large area search and rescue operations:

Reconnaissance to assess damage and needs and give feedback to officials
· Wide area search and technical search
· Extrication of entrapped survivors
· Structural and hazard evaluations of buildings
· Hazardous materials surveys and evaluations
· Operations in water-inundated areas
· Operations in known or suspected Hazardous Materials/Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (Hazmat/CBRNE) environments
· Emergency medical care for entrapped survivors, System personnel, and canines
· Evacuation of residents from hazardous settings
· Stabilization of damaged structures, including shoring and cribbing operations

Image via California Task Force 3