Washington, D.C. – They’ve pulled victims out of the rubble after the World Trade Center collapsed, searched for those stranded in flooded homes during Hurricane Katrina, and responded to raging wildfires in Maui and across America. National Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) Response System task forces are comprised of highly skilled emergency responders who deploy on a moment’s notice to a wide range of catastrophic events like the Northridge Earthquake, Oklahoma City bombing, Oso mudslide and many other disasters that surpass the capabilities of local communities to respond to alone.
Now, a bipartisan coalition of Congressional lawmakers and US&R task force leaders are advocating for proper federal funding to support these lifesaving efforts. Reps. Kevin Mullin, CA-15, Young Kim, CA-40, and Jill Tokuda, HI-02, are requesting a $16 million increase for a total of $56 million in federal funding for the US&R Response System as part of the 2025 federal budget. This proposed funding level is currently being considered by the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security and would ensure that host agencies are able to meet the true cost of readiness to staff and maintain these highly specialized regional teams.
Each US&R task force is comprised of specialized individuals and personnel from local emergency or fire departments. This vital nationwide resource includes 28 task forces stationed in 19 states around the country and are always on call for deployment to dangerous, life-threatening disasters by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“I am proud to have California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3) based out of Menlo Park Fire in my Congressional District,” said Rep. Kevin Mullin. “The time and effort that is put into hosting and maintaining a task force for deployment at a moment’s notice is no small task. Providing these agencies with a funding increase to meet the true cost of deployment readiness will allow them to continue to respond and provide lifesaving services to those who are experiencing an unfathomable emergency. These incidents happen throughout the nation, and we are fortunate to have these heroic task forces strategically placed and available to respond when communities need them most.”
“First responders need the proper resources to keep our communities safe during a major disaster, including deadly wildfires and flood events,” said Rep. Young Kim. “The National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Response System consists of 28 vital task forces made up of federal, state, and local emergency personnel who are on call for rapid deployment to provide emergency medical care and search collapsed buildings. I support our US&R task forces’ lifesaving work and appreciate Orange County Fire Authority Chief Fennessy’s leadership as Western Representative for 9 US&R task forces. I will do my part to protect this program that saves lives.”
“In the immediate aftermath of the Maui fires last August, Urban Search and Rescue teams from across the country were among the first to enter the burn zone, while the ground was still hot enough to melt shoes,” said Rep. Jill Tokuda. “I will never forget meeting the brave US&R teams who flew out here to help us find and recover our loved ones and give our Maui ‘ohana some semblance of peace and comfort. I will always be grateful for what they did for us, which is why I’m so proud to have joined my colleagues Representatives Kevin Mullin and Young Kim in advocating for full funding for the US&R system in this year’s appropriations bills. We never know when disaster will strike, but all Americans deserve to know that when it does, US&R will come to their aid. This funding would help ensure that.”
US&R Leaders Speak Out for Federal Support
US&R Task Forces are dealing with an increased frequency of deployments and an expansion of their expected response capabilities as well as increased labor and equipment costs. In addition to the personnel who are deployed as part of a responding unit, there is also a cost to backfill positions to those individuals who are deployed. Here’s what some of the participating agencies have to say about the need for a funding increase:
“FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams, sponsored by local government fire agencies like Menlo Park Fire Protection, provide vital, highly trained surge resources to communities that have been struck by catastrophic disasters,” said Mark Lorenzen, Fire Chief, Menlo Park Fire Protection District (CA-TF3). “They are critical in both life saving measures as well as helping move jurisdictions forward to recovery. The teams are struggling financially to cover increasing costs while federal funding lags well behind inflation. I am thankful for the bipartisan efforts of our legislators, including Rep. Kevin Mullin who helped lead this effort to bridge the funding gap to ensure our sustainability.”
“Last year alone, California Task Force 5 (CA-TF5) activated on a wide range of incidents — from the Maui Wildfires in Hawaii to Hurricane Idalia in Florida — and on each deployment, the investments made in the program were returned beyond measure in the form of lives saved, families rescued, and communities protected,” said Brian Fennessy, Fire Chief of the Orange County Fire Authority (CA-TF5). “As the home of one of only 28 such task forces in the nation, we are grateful for the elected officials, including our own Rep. Young Kim, who not only recognize the program’s importance, but also work to secure increased funding to expand its life-saving services.”
“When disaster strikes, our US&R assets are the backbone of the response effort,” said Joseph R. Downey, Chief of Rescue Operations with FDNY (NY-TF1), and US&R Task Force Representative-National. “With our extensive training and experience, we form a reliable and adaptable force that operates at the heart of every federal disaster response. New York City, with the largest Fire and Police Departments in the country, received much needed assistance from US&R task forces in response to the 9-11 attacks on the WTC and Hurricane Sandy. Our task forces have consistently gone above and beyond to support the mission, but the lack of funding is hindering our ability to respond effectively. With increased labor and equipment costs, along with the expansion of our mission scope and more frequent deployments, we need your help now more than ever.”
“Ohio Task Force 1 (OH-TF1) has been deployed by FEMA nearly 40-times in the past 25 years, nine of those in just the past 4 years, including the Champlain Tower Collapse in Surfside, Florida, the December 2021 tornado in Kentucky, and Hurricane Ian in Florida in 2022,” said Evan W. Schumann, OFE, Program Manager (OH-TF1). “Our canine handlers and dogs have been deployed to such events as the State of Washington landslide in 2014, the Kentucky Flooding in 2022, and the Hawaii Wildland Fire last year. To remain ready to respond to any disaster, OH-TF1 spent 11,696 hrs. of training in 2023 and over 2,647 hrs. of service time (doing work without compensation). The associated personnel costs of OH-TF1’s 2023 activities were almost all uncompensated by federal funding and born on the backs of OH-TF1’s Participating Agencies or team members. I am grateful to Reps. Mullin, Kim and Tokuda for leading the charge to increase funding for the Urban Search & Rescue program that will provide us greater support.”
“Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) task forces fill a critical role in the location and rescue of endangered persons following a disaster that many agencies could not manage independently,” stated Ray Jadallah, Fire Chief of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (FL-TF1). Without that assistance, the rescue of those persons would not be possible. Our US&R members frequently respond to large-scale disasters outside their normal geographical response area. At these major events, they develop the skills and abilities needed to manage local disasters of any size, significantly increasing the level of service provided to our residents and visitors.”
###
Photos courtesy of US&R California Task Force 3 from deployments to World Trade Center Bombing, and Hurricane Katrina.
