FEMA Urban Search & Rescue caches
I’ve been working, in fits and starts on the cache concept described below. If there is interest, I can post what I have currently (list is complete, need to add item weights) and/or when I manage to get the majority of the individual weights for the 1100+ line items added in. The real-world concept necessarily limits use to an US based scenario.
The National Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) Response System, established under the authority of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 1989, is a framework for organizing federal, state and local partner emergency response teams as integrated federal disaster response task forces. The 28 US&R task forces can be deployed by FEMA to a disaster area to provide assistance in structural collapse rescue, or they may be pre-positioned when a major disaster threatens a community. SOP calls for activation of the three (3) task forces nearest the disaster area.
The US Army’s 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company, based at Ft. Belvoir, VA is modelled on a FEMA US&R Task Force and provides additional support in the National Capital Region. Additionally, some states and other jurisdictions have created and equipped secondary task forces, such as TX-TF2 sponsored by the Dallas Fire Department.
Each of the 28 task forces maintain an equipment cache designed to sustain the task force for four (4) days in the field. The 16,000+ pieces of equipment are cached and palletized for quick access and transportation. The complete load of equipment weighs approximately 60,000 pounds and is designed to be transported by tractor-trailer or in the cargo holds of two (2) C-130 transport aircraft.
The cache contents are broken into five (5) basic categories: Communications, Logistics, Medical, Search & Rescue, and Technical Support.
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