Urban Search AND Rescue (USAR) Medical support

USAR Medical Support Lead:  Chris Anderson  

The Special Medical Response Team initially expanded to provide advanced life support for to the urban search and rescue discipline as a participating agency for the Pennsylvania Urban Search and Rescue Task Force (PA-TF 1) of the National Urban Search And Rescue System - 1 of 28 federal teams across the United States.

The team is now involved in the urban search and rescue discipline as a medical support team to the Region 13 Urban Search And Rescue Team (PA-ST 1) of southwestern Pennsylvania additionally.  This allows the team to deploy with PA-ST 1 to provide specialized medical providers and equipment to expand the capabilities of the  PA-ST 1 medical specialists.

With these missions occurring in austere, remote and possibly devastated areas, these rescue agencies may not know the level of medical care that may be available upon their arrival at a scene.  In these scenarios the team is able to respond to the site to provide advanced medical support until local EMS agencies are able to transport patients.  This relationship allows the medically trained rescue technicians to focus on their primary mission while knowing they have the support of individuals with the primary assignment of caring for victims.  Not only do our providers care for victims until care can be transferred but they focus on providing care to the responders while they are isolated from definitive care facilities when on their missions.

Urban Search And Rescue Medical Support
  • Rescue Qualified Component
    • Physicians
    • Paramedics
    • EMTs
    • Logistics
  • Support Component
    • Physicians 
    • Nurse Practitioner
    • Registered Nurse 
    • Paramedics
    • EMTs
    • Logistics
    • Administrative

Rescue Qualified Component Training - Varies but includes:
  • Confined Space Operations and Technician
  • Firefighter I and II
  • Hazardous Materials Operations, Technician, and Specialist
  • Rope Rescue Operations and Technician
  • Structure Collapse Operations and Technician
  • Trench Rescue Operations and Technician
  • Urban Search And Rescue Medical Specialist
  • Urban Search And Rescue Medical Team Manager
  • WMD Enhance Operations

For more information about the programs SMRT supports, see the official sites of Pennsylvania Strike Team 1 - PA-ST 1 and Pennsylvania Task Force 1 - PA-TF 1.