[22/12/2020] What is USAR?

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Luca Anderson
Firefighter II
Posts: 572
Joined: 08 Jul 2020, 20:24
Primary Assignment: Recruit Services Section
Station Assignment: Station 52
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⠀⠀LOS SANTOS FIRE DEPARTMENT⠀⠀
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⠀ ⠀⠀PRESS RELEASE - WHAT IS USAR?⠀⠀ ⠀
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⠀⠀ WHAT IS USAR? ⠀
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Written by: Elise Reyna
Published: 22/12/2020

The USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) has the primary mission and objective, as the name suggests, to enable the Los Santos Fire Department with the ability to carry out Search and Rescue Missions. Whilst it may seem really bare-bones in and by itself, USAR actually has much more other areas that are carried out on a day-to-day basis, this article will go in-depth in all of those areas to explain the real mission statement of the USAR.

Urban Search and Rescue is a sub-divisional team within the Los Santos Fire Department which Firefighters are able to volunteer for, firefighters that do wish to join are required to have a couple of pre-defined certifications and are required to go through a hefty application stage, entry test and an induction process, this assists the Los Santos Fire Department in choosing only the most qualified candidates for the position of USAR. Furthermore, USAR utilizes specific fleet vehicles which for the purpose of this article will be separated into each different team so it is easier to explain;

Rescue Engine (RE-3) - This unit is responsible for responding to any structure fire and is the front-line for doing primary searches by going directly inside of burning buildings and searching for any survivors, were they to find any survivors it becomes their primary objective to get those survivors out of the burning buildings in as safe of a manner as possible. Any type of structure fire would most likely fill up the building with dark smoke, so the visibility for for firefighters would be close to none, firefighters mainly rely on walls for their navigation as well as verbal communication/callouts from people.

Search and Rescue (K9-3) - This unit is responsible for responding to any calls in which a person's location isn't specifically pinpointed to a small enough area for a regular response. Calls that require response from this division usually require search teams over a large area to pinpoint the exact location of an incident, this is usually around forests, mountains or coastal lines. The division is responsible for establishing multiple search teams to cover as much ground as possible and even has the authorized use of a helicopter. This team also utilizes specially trained K9 Rescue Medical Dogs which will track down the location of someone who may have found themselves lost or have issues designating their location when contacting Emergency Services. The fire department's K9 dogs are specially trained to locate specific items, humans and human remains (bodies). These dogs also have some very basic skill of treatment against anxiety attacks as well as panic attacks.

Hazardous Material Response (Squad-3) - This unit is responsible for, as the name would suggest, responding to calls which would include hazardous chemicals (including and not limited to; explosives, gases, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizing substances, toxic/infectious substances, radioactive material, corrosives). Alongside Support Services, they also assist with the cleanup process of any hazardous materials and leaks.

Swift Water Response (SWR-3) - This unit is responsible for any emergency calls that come from or near bodies of water. This includes and is not limited to; Oceans, Rivers or Lakes. This division primarily focuses on rescue, however, it does also have an included Search element, in cases where the people are unable to be located and are described to be on or in water, Water Rescue is the division who locates these people alongside the assistance of other divisions and agencies. Water Rescue also has an element that focuses on recovery, this is not necessarily limited to /only/ body recovery, most of the time, Water Rescue is responsible for searching larger bodies of water for items and attempting to locate evidence for the police or just a victim who may have lost their wallet.

Technical Rescue (USAR-3) - This unit is responsible for any technical calls that come in to the Fire Department, technical calls can range from a regular cat being stuck in tree to a call of people stuck in an elevator. Essentially, Technical Rescue is, as the name suggests, a team that specializes in calls that require some type of technical intervention. This team also ensures safety on electrical hazard scene and usually handles such calls by ensuring that a hazard is turned off so it is no longer hazardous.

Logistical Support (UT-3) - This unit is responsible for any calls that requires Logistical Support (equipment hauling or personnel hauling). This team is also just utilized for transportation of equipment or personnel between stations.

Opinion & A deep dive into USAR calls:
I have spent 2 full weeks within the Urban Search and Rescue Team, responding to calls with them, interviewing them and getting a general outlook alongside them in their work. The first thing, within my own personal opinion that I can say is that I believe the USAR team is basically a SWAT department within the LSFD. These guys are the elite of the elite, the most professional people I've ever worked with and the calls that I've seen whilst working alongside them and everything they did was bloody amazing. Here's a some of the calls they responded to during my time within the USAR team;

Mountain Rescue
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House Fire
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Motor Vehicle Accident w/ Entrapment
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Swift Water Rescue Drill
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Conclusion
Overall, for me, it was an eye-opening and learning experience being within the USAR Team. I've learned a lot during my time with them and hopefully, you, the reader have as well!
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Firefighter II/AEMT Luca "Lucas" Anderson


Former Deputy Fire Marshal II (Bonus) Alex "Jorge" Jorgensen
Ret. Volunteer Firefighter #49041
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