DFS Quarterly

A Publication of the Department of Fire Services - Stephen D. Coan, State Fire Marshall - Vol 4 - Issue 2 - Page 18 - June 1999

Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue Task Force Conducts Exercise

The Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Task Force conducted a team deployment exercise and program orientation at the Department of Fire Services in Stow on April 14, 1999. The USAR team responds to major natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes and man-made ones such as the Oklahoma City bombing.

SpecializedTools and Techniques in Action

The team demonstrated the specialized tools and techniques they have for locating live victims trapped in collapsed concrete buildings and structures such as highways, and cutting through heavy debris in just the right spot for rescue. The demonstration included specially trained urban search dogs, a technical search exercise using cameras and acoustic equipment for locating victims in collapsed buildings, concrete breaching without causing further collapse, shoring of a damaged building and a high frequency radio exercise with the Virginia Beach Urban Search and Rescue Team.

State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said, Painful lessons learned from earthquakes in San Francisco and bombings in Oklahoma, have led to the development of sophisticated tools and rescue techniques. We are fortunate to have a trained USAR team based here in New England.

Managing "Crush Syndrome" Medical team members also demonstrated how they keep trapped people from dying when the debris is removed. Awake and alert victims often die suddenly when toxins trapped in the crushed extremities rush to the major organs when the pressure is removed.

High Frequency Radio Communications

In the event of a cataclysmic event such as a major earthquake or hurricane, normal communications may be inoperable. The Task Force Communications Specialists will provide local on-site communications through radios and field telephones as well as long distance communications through high frequency radio techniques. An exercise was conducted where the USAR team communicated with another USAR team in Virginia Beach, VA by bouncing radio signals off the layers of the upper atmosphere.

Team Valuable Resource to Local Public Safety Officials

The team of 125 volunteers from fire, police, EMS and private sector agencies in Massachusetts and all the New England states, is headquartered in Beverly, MA. It is one of 27 federally sponsored teams nationwide. Jeffrey A. Bean, Regional Director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Bud Iannazzo, Acting Director, Mass. Emergency Management Agency, State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan, and USAR Team Leaders Mark Foster and Steve Clendenin explained this valuable resource to the gathered New England fire chief.

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