The Federal Emergency Management Agency (F.E.M.A.), following the Loma Prieta earthquake centered in San Francisco, lead the development of 28 Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) Task Forces. These task forces, complete with necessary tools and equipment, and required skills and techniques, can be deployed by FEMA for the rescue of victims of structural collapse.
The Marion County Rescue Task Force is a national disaster response team staffed by 210 individuals. When the team is deployed it is composed of five strike teams–Search, Rescue, Hazardous Materials, Medical, and Logistics.
The Task Force is on 4-hour notice to respond to any type of natural or man-made disaster where people might be trapped, lost or injured, and is self-sufficient for at least 72 hours during the initial phase of the mission.
The primary response mission includes mobilization to collapsed structures caused by natural or man-made events.