FEMA's USAR Task Force Deployments: Implications for The Management of Emergency Response
The Urban Search and Rescue taskforces (USAR) sponsored by FEMA are a key component of the federal emergency response system. This study examines the a. extent to which these taskforces are impacted by known problems at search and rescue (SAR) operations, as well as the solutions they have developed to these problems, and b. their interaction with law enforcement agencies, in what has become a critical factor in the conduct of present day SAR operations. Specifically, the research analyzes the relationships among FEMA USAR taskforces and support personnel, DoD support personnel, local agencies and state emergency management offices, other state and regional agencies present during major deployments, law enforcement agencies (FBI, local and state police), and volunteers. It also looks at the operation of the emergency medical system (EMS) during USAR deployments, particularly the securing and routing of injured persons and their transportation to medical facilities. The study identifies areas of cooperation and conflict among these social actors, and changes in SAR operations and their impact on organizational culture, information, training, and purpose. It also develops an inclusive description of the types of collective actors that are present during USAR deployments.
Focus groups from ten USAR taskforces and approximately 100 in-depth interviews with representatives from other agencies and groups that participated in nine USAR national deployment sites are done to develop a useful blueprint for local, state, and federal agencies and private organizations to follow during participation in SAR operations. The intent is to improve the effectiveness of disaster responses and contribute to the social science understanding of the emergent multi-organizational SAR system as a form of organized, adaptive crisis response activity.
