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Special Operations

Firefighters checking out equipment for a special operations response.
Firefighters on rescue boat in water
Firefighters training with concrete and tools.

The Special Operations Division is responsible for the overall management and coordination of the state and federal US&R Response System, which includes eight CA FEMA Urban Search & Rescue Task Forces, twelve CA Regional Task Forces, eighteen Type II mobile rescue caches, and thirteen Swift Water/Flood Water Rescue Teams.

California Regional Urban Search & Rescue Task Forces (RTFs)

There are currently ten Regional Urban Search & Rescue Task Forces located throughout the state. These Regional US&R Task Forces are comprised of 30 people specially trained and equipped for large or complex urban search and rescue operations. The multi-disciplinary organization provides five functional elements that include supervision, search, rescue, planning, and logistics. The Regional US&R Task Force is totally self-sufficient for the first 24 hours.

Swiftwater Flood/Search & Rescue Teams

There are thirteen Cal OES Swiftwater/Flood Search & Rescue Teams located throughout the state. These Swiftwater/Flood Search & Rescue Teams conduct search and rescue in the water environment, includes searching disaster areas that have become flooded, conducting rescue operations in collapsed structures inundated by floods, tsunamis, dam failure, or other water-related disasters, accessing and rescuing persons and companion animals trapped by flood waters during disasters.

California FEMA Urban Search & Rescue Task Forces

California has eight California FEMA Urban Search & Rescue Task Forces located throughout the state. Each California FEMA Urban Search & Rescue Task Force is comprised of 80 persons specifically trained and equipped for large or complex urban search and rescue operations. The multi-disciplinary organization provides seven functional elements that include Supervision, Search, Rescue, Haz Mat, Medical, Logistics and Planning. The California FEMA US&R Task Force can provide round-the-clock urban search and rescue operations (two 12-hour shifts). The US&R Task Force is totally self-sufficient for the first 72 hours and has a full equipment cache to support its operation.

Contact Information

Lawrence Collins

Deputy Fire Chief

Phone: (916) 845-8751

Larry.Collins@CalOES.ca.gov

Jeff Dapper

Assistant Fire Chief, Special Operations, North

Phone: (916) 806-7219

Jeff.Dapper@CalOES.ca.gov

Jeff Adams

Assistant Fire Chief, Special Operations, South

Phone: (916) 330-0953

Jeff.Adams@CalOES.ca.gov

Dave Norman

Assistant Fire Chief, Special Operations

Phone: (916) 764-4654

David.Norman@CalOES.ca.gov

Bubba Willis

Assistant Fire Chief, Special Operations

Phone: (279) 203-7620

Bubba.Willis@CalOES.ca.gov

Special Operations News

An Unusual Wildfire Assignment This Week:

Through the California Fire & Rescue (Maritime) Mutual Aid System, we successfully filled a request for a total of nine fire boats to support operations at Lake Shasta, where the ongoing Green Fire is burning in a remote area. In some parts of the fire zone, boat access is the most effective way to reach the fireline.

These fire boats, trailered in from various Northern California fire departments, are operating 24 hours a day to support the following priorities:

  • Conduct waterborne fire attack to protect structures and limit fire spread along the shoreline
  • Conduct waterborne REMS/RIC (Rapid Intervention Crew) and medical transport operations
  • Transport hundreds of firefighters, along with their hose and equipment, across the lake
  • Be prepared to pump hoselines in select areas until portable fire pumps can be deployed

This operation represents a strong team effort by the Incident Command (Incident Management Team), Cal OES Fire & Rescue and Special Operations, Mutual Aid Coordinators from the Operational Areas and Regions, and the fire departments that have provided boats and crews for around-the-clock operations.

It also highlights the long-term work being carried out through FIRESCOPE and the two Cal OES Maritime Work Groups (Northern and Southern California), aimed at establishing and maintaining a robust statewide maritime mutual aid system. This system supports all of California’s coastline and inland waterways, and includes codified standards for resource typing and inspections, training and qualifications, equipment and position descriptions, and a statewide “maritime response zone” framework to ensure coordinated mutual aid capabilities.

Check out these social media posts from California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and CalFire Sonoma Lake Napa Unit.

Read more in this news article from The Press Democrat.  

Welcome Bubba Willis to Cal OES Fire and Rescue!

Rescue and recovery efforts continue in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

CA-TF2 assigned to the Air Operations Branch of TC Milton to recon damage and initiate search and rescue operations.

Fire and Rescue Special Operations Assistant Chief, Dave Norman (in his Los Angeles County Fire Department days) on the cover of the Firehouse National Run Survey:

Firefighters gathered around a building and firetrucks with ladders.

Mammoth Lakes: Explosion in 200 block of Hillside Drive

LA Times: LA County Search and Rescue Team combs through wreckage in Turkey earthquake zone

Special Operations General Messages

Special Ops General Message 1

Special Ops General Message 2

Urban Search & Rescue and Swiftwater/Flood Communiques

Update on California-Based Urban Search and Rescue Resources for Hurricanes Helene and Milton_101124

Update on California-Based Urban Search and Rescue Resources_100924

Update on California-Based Urban Search and Rescue Resources_100724

California-Based Urban Search and Rescue Resource Incident En Route_092924

California-Based Urban Search and Rescue Resources Activated for Tropical Cyclone Helene_092424

Publications

ICS 162_Technical Search and Rescue Incident Operational System Description

Forms

Cal OES Special Ops Equipment Accountability Form (Special Ops Form 1)

Cal OES Apparatus Use Report (Form F-101)

Fleet Maintenance Worksheet (Form 161)

Equipment Use Request Form

Special Operations in Action!

Building destroyed in explosion and firefighters climbing around it in the snow.
Firefighter at the scene of a building destroyed in an explosion in the snow.
Firefighter and rescue dog getting ready to search building rubble.
Firefighter in building rubble.
Firefighters in rubble of a building.
Firetruck in snowy weather.
People repairing a building with damage.
Firetrucks in snowy weather.
Rescue boat and workers in a river.
Fire vehicles at a building that is snowed in.
Fire truck and firefighters at a building snowed in.
Rescue workers rescuing a dog and woman from a flooded house.
Rescue workers guiding a boat with survivors through flood waters.
People trying to dig a truck out of mud.
Survivor getting on rescue boat in a flooded neighborhood.
A man at his home with flood waters talking to a rescue worker with a rescue boat.
Flood waters with plane debris.
Rescue boat and worker in flood waters near a grocery store.
Firefighters with structural repair to a building in the snow.
Building with heavy snowpack on the roof.
Rescue boat on flood waters on a street.
Floodwaters on a neighborhood street.
Firefighter boarding up window of building.
Building with snow and window boarded up.
Damage on the inside of a building.
Building with damaged roof from snowpack on the top of the roof.
Rescue boat and rescue worker in flood waters.
Rescue boat on the lake.
Rescue vehicle with rescue boats.
Firefighters in snowy weather making repairs to a building with structural damage.
Fire truck and firefighters at night in snowy weather.
Building with structural damage with snow on the roof.
Fire truck and public safety personnel at a building with snow on the roof.
Rescue workers walking through flood waters.
Rescue workers walking through flood waters.
Rescue worker walking through flood waters with survivors.
Fire truck and trailer in flood waters with rescue workers.
Rescue workers walking through flood waters.
Rescue workers helping an animal in a crate get out of an army vehicle.
Rescue workers helping survivors get out of an army vehicle.
Rescue workers helping survivors get out of an army vehicle.
Red car stranded in flood waters with rescue workers arriving on the scene.
Army vehicle and rescue boat in flood waters with rescue workers.
Image of fire on a hill from a boat with a control panel on the boat.
Image of a fire on a hill from a fire boat.
Fire boat on a lake.
Fire boat on a lake engaging water suppression system.
Firefighters preparing their equipment on the shore of a lake by a boat.
Firefighters on a boat on a lake.
Firefighters getting onto three fire boats from the shore of a lake.
Firefighters posed on the lakeshore with seven fire boats.
Smoke filled sunset on the lake from the view of a fire boat.
Fire boat with firefighters on a lake.
Fire boat on a lake with a smoke-filled sky.
Firefighters on the back of a fire boat.
Fire boat on the lake at night with smoky air.
Sunset on the lake with a fire boat.
Fire burning on a hill from the view of a fire boat on a lake.
Smoke-filled sky from the view of a fire boat on a lake.

Explore this Section

California Regional Urban Search & Rescue Task Forces

State & National Urban Search & Rescue Task Forces

Swiftwater/Flood Search and Rescue