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Special Operations

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 and 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 Teams

There are currently ten Regional Urban Search & Rescue Task Forces located throughout the state. These Regional US&R Task Force are comprised of 29 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, Medical, and Logistics. The Regional US&R Task Force is totally self-sufficient for the first 24 hours.

Swiftwater Flood/Search and Rescue Teams

There are thirteen Cal OES Swiftwater/Flood Search and Rescue Teams located throughout the state. These Swiftwater/Flood Search and 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 and 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.