San Bernardino County Fire hosts one of California’s 12 Regional Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Task Forces certified by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. County Fire’s USAR Task Force is identified as Regional USAR Task Force 6 or CA-RTF-6.
County Fire’s special USAR equipment includes seven Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) vehicles, three of which are Type 1 Heavy Rescue companies, which provide the highest level of local USAR response capability. A Regional USAR Task Force includes 29 specially trained personnel and is authorized to respond to major rescue emergencies including mass transit accidents and large-scale disasters such as earthquakes or major terrorist incidents.
This status also allows for County Fire’s Regional USAR Task Force to respond to requests for assistance from other agencies in California when requested through the Master Mutual Aid System.
County Fire’s USAR task force members are fully trained and equipped in five areas: