KANSAS TASK FORCE ONE

Newton Fire/EMS is the proud sponsor of the project to establish Kansas Task Force One, a State of Kansas Search and Rescue resource during disasters.

• Rescue Systems I and II Training (Wichita, KS)

This document is currently being revised.

DEFINITIONS (return to top)

This section will list and describe the various terms and abbreviations located within this text. This will allow the reader to reference unknown terms and material in order to understand what is being presented. Terms are listed in alphabetical order.

• AHJ- Authority having jurisdiction. For this document, the entity that is responsible at the time at the appropriate level of government. For a local consideration, an example would be a fire department within its jurisdiction.
• Asset- This document shall refer to assets as personnel and the resources associated to go with them on deployment.
• Deployment- The formal request to respond to an incident.
• Federal- in context of this document, refers to resources sent by Washington under the authority of the Federal government.
• FEMA- Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Firefighter- Individual trained and employed in firefighting. In the context of this document, firefighter shall also be considered one who has also received and/or participates in training and responding to emergencies concerning special operations.
• High angle rescue- Rescues that require ropes and mechanical advantage rigging to be performed largely off the ground and sometimes at great heights.
• KSTF-1- Kansas Task Force One. This designation follows the FEMA system of naming rescue task forces. The state abbreviation precedes the TF which signifies the name "Task Force and the number following designates the particular team for that state. Some states have more than one rescue task force.
• Local- Pertaining to the local level of government concerning response to disasters. Usually referring to a City or County.
• MERGe- Medical Emergency Response Group. A regional organization within the central and southeastern portion of Kansas committed to sending ambulances to disasters for treatment and transport anywhere in the State.
• Special Operations- Search and rescue operations that require technical training and expertise that goes beyond the typical firefighter training. For this document, shall pertain to rescues involving high angle, confined space, trench and open water rescue.
• State- Refers to the government of the State of Kansas.
• State of Readiness- A level of status that maintains training, equipment, personnel, and budget to facilitate availability for response.
• Trench Rescue- Rescues performed inside a collapsed trench as defined by OSHA. Usually requires significant shoring, digging and safety measures to be in place.
• Paramedic- A certification level for personnel to provide advanced life support treatment in the field and during transport to an emergency health facility.
• USAR- Urban search and rescue. Refers to the ability to rescue in and from collapsed reinforced concrete and steel structures.
  

Overall Objective
The objective of this plan for Kansas Task Force 1 (KSTF-1) is to organize, fund, and manage a Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) standard rescue task force for the state of Kansas.

Mission of KSTF-1
The mission of KSTF-1 is to respond to disasters in coordination with local, State, and FEMA resources to locate, extricate, and provide immediate medical treatment for victims.

Reason for seeking this Taskforce
Currently, Kansas does not possess the resources and trained personnel necessary to mitigate large disasters such as the DeBruce Grain Elevator incident. Historically, when a disaster of this sort occurs, Kansas local resources initiate search and rescue of trapped victims and subsequently request resources from out-of-state via the FEMA system. These local resources then wait while attempting what they can for up to 12 hours or more for those resources to arrive. The reason for this is that the nearest resource to adequately manage this type of disaster is Lincoln, NE or Columbia, MO.

The next step
This portion of the process is the reason the State is being contacted. This is required for several reasons.

1. State recognition of the team is required so that the "promised" Federal money to each state to bolster its response for "Homeland Defense" may be placed accordingly. Without this recognition, the money will arrive into the State and be allocated to wherever the administrator of the grant feels is most appropriate. This may mean whoever gets there first with the best information will receive funds. Recognizing this task force at the state level will provide the information and authority stream allowing Federal money to flow into the task force. This will provide the best "Homeland Defense" we can in Kansas to respond to major disasters in a timely fashion.
2. According to chapter IV of the Logistics Specialist Training Manual, it describes that "Local/state sources-the initial money output or commitment comes from the local or state sponsoring agency." (FEMA US&R Response System, IV, 1). Disasters are not concerned with jurisdiction or whether the population is prepared for such an incident. If a disaster occurs within Kansas, Kansas will pay for it regardless. Even if the Federal Government pays through the appropriate disaster declarations, the Local and State resources will be tapped initially. This is simply a matter of how ready are we willing to be to protect ourselves in disasters.
3. No local authority having jurisdiction within Kansas possesses the resources within itself for personnel, finances, and equipment to sponsor the entire task force. Here in Kansas, we simply are not large enough. We do have several agencies that could provide part and taken as a whole can support the entire task force. State sponsorship is required by FEMA for participation in the FEMA system and state sponsorship also provides a needed organizational stream for communication and resources.
   

CHAPTER I: TASK FORCE DESCRIPTION (return to top)

The task force named Kansas Task Force One (KSTF-1) is a FEMA standard Search and Rescue Team comprised of 72 personnel. It is formed after the Emergency Support Function #9 Urban Search and Rescue Annex of the FEMA Basic Plan. This is being done to facilitate the communication and reimbursement stream with FEMA. This will provide a timely response and timely funding during and after a disaster.

The taskforce functions in 12 hour shifts 24 hours per day. It is equipped to perform self-sufficiently for 72 hours. It has the capability to extend out to 10 days if necessary. Its primary capabilities are reinforced concrete structures, hazardous environments, wood structures, and more recently weapons of mass destruction. It is organized into four broad categories under the FEMA structure. They are Management, Search and Rescue, Medical and Planning.

Administration

This is the coordinator position of the task force. This position is responsible for the training records, personnel records and planning for the task force at large.

Management

This is the management of the task force. It is composed of two Task Force Leaders, two Safety Officers, two Planning Officers, two Search Managers, two Rescue Managers, two Logistics Managers, and two Medical Managers. This group is also the away group that responds to the site immediately while the rest of the taskforce responds to the Point of Departure with the entire cache and personnel.

Task Force Leader: This position is the overall manager of the entire taskforce. This position functions in the command post and works with the local scene commander to provide the best approach to the disaster.

Safety Officer: This position monitors all search and rescue operations and possesses the authority to ensure operations are safe and only when needed can override command orders to stop operations due to severe safety concerns.

Planning Officer: This position manages the Technical Information Specialists, HazMat Specialists and Structural Specialists. This position works with command to provide informed decisions based on incident criteria through evaluation of these areas in the Planning Group.

Search Manager: As the name implies, this position supervises the actions of the Canine Search and Technical Search personnel.

Rescue Manager: This position manages the four rescue squads and the two Heavy Rigging Specialists.

Logistics Manager: This position manages the four Logistics Specialists who provide the supplies and cache for the entire taskforce. This position also manages the two Communications Specialists and any Support Specialists needed such as truck drivers.

Medical Manager: This position is a Physician responsible for the Medical Group.

Search and Rescue

Search and Rescue is actually considered two groups but this document considers them one because primarily the same people do all of these tasks.

Search: This group provides the technical/electronic search in the collapse area. This group is comprised of four Canine Specialists and Search Canines (the only portion of the group not assigned to the rest of the search and rescue tasks) and two Technical Search Specialists. The technical search utilizes very expensive and highly sensitive sound, visual, and articulating equipment to access and locate victims.

Rescue: This group performs the actual extrication of trapped victims. These personnel are trained in cutting, shoring, lifting and breaching reinforced concrete. This group is comprised of several area fire departments that possess rescue teams in some form. The Rescue Group is comprised of four Rescue Squads. Each squad has one Rescue Squad Officer and five Rescue Specialists. There are also two Heavy Rigging Specialists that provide the heavy lifting management for the taskforce.

Medical

This group provides the pre-hospital and emergency care for taskforce members and victims on scene. This group is also being organized to function according to the ESF#8 Health and Medical Services Annex. This will facilitate a statewide medical response to any medical disaster or outbreak.

This group is comprised of two Physicians (Medical Managers as listed earlier) and four Medical Specialists (paramedics or equally trained field emergency nurses).

Planning

This group provides the overall evaluation and planning of the mission. This group is comprised of six personnel: two Tech Info Specialists, two Structural Specialists (engineers), and two HazMat Specialists.

Logistics

This group provides the support for the personnel of the entire task force. They manage the food, water, Cache, and the mobilization and demobilization for deployment. They are also in charge of the transportation of all of the supplies of the task force. This group is comprised of four Logistics Specialists and two Communications Specialists.

CHAPTER II: WHO IS INVOLVED (return to top)

Significant effort has been placed into providing the personnel resources for this task force. All members listed this chapter have expressed that they would like to participate as long as the appropriations are in place. All positions are being filled with a combination of private, public and public safety organizations. Careful consideration has been placed to not duplicate already available resources for disasters.

Management, Search, Rescue, Logistics: Several fire and EMS departments in close proximity to Wichita (1 hour radius) have been contacted and asked to provide the personnel resources for the taskforce. Full time career departments that possess some form of special rescue training and resources were utilized to facilitate a 24 hour 7 day a week availability and short out-of-chute time. Each of these departments already has organized more or less; high angle, confined space, water rescue, and trench rescue resources. Theses departments include but are not limited to: Newton Fire/EMS, Sedgwick County Fire, Wichita Fire, Winfield Fire, Hutchinson Fire, Andover Fire, and Butler County EMS.

Structural Engineers: American Institute of Architects (AIA) of Kansas in Topeka has agreed to supply the needed Structural Specialists for the task force. This organization already responds within days of the disaster to provide structural analysis for rehabitation. This organization felt that it would be a natural progression to fill the need during search and rescue operations for the taskforce.

Medical Group: Several entities have been approached and expressed interest in providing the Physicians for the task force. They have responded positively but have not formally committed. The Paramedics are most likely going to either come from participating Fire Departments or from the MERGe project which is an organized response of several EMS providing agencies sending Ambulances to disasters such as tornadoes and floods, etc. Some other entities are Via Christi. Via Christi has expressed interest in providing the medical direction and the training for the Medical Group.

Canine Search Teams: Sedgwick County Emergency Management has agreed to supply the needed Canine Search Teams for the task force.

HazMat Specialists: The State Fire Marshal's Office has agreed to provide the HazMat specialists through the CAT system already set up as a state resource.

Kansas National Guard/Adjutant General's Office: This office is the State Emergency Management Office. Major General Gregg Gardner expressed satisfaction in our interest to provide for search and rescue for Kansas. He stated that his office would contact EMS and Fire Service representatives to consider this proposal.

It will be here that KSTF-1 will be utilized as a state resource. Essentially, KSTF-1 will be placed under the State's Emergency Management Office. Gene Krase who is the Operations Director in the Adjutant General's Office said that if he is ever asked where a FEMA USAR team should be placed here in Kansas, his reply would be south-central Kansas. This is why the Fire Departments within this area are being contacted to participate at this time.

CHAPTER III: BUDGET (return to top)

The following information that is detailed is to be considered slightly generous meaning it will probably not cost as much as revealed. These numbers however are going to be used in order to avoid pitfalls in the procurement process.

Initial Funding

1. Equipment and Medical Cache- $1,800,000. This figure is FEMA's own document describing the equipment and the costs involved. This is a generous figure that will probably be modified by FEMA soon. According to those close to Washington, recent experience at the World Trade Center revealed some changes in the equipment Cache possibly making it less expensive.
2. The initial training cost- $190,600. WMD component would be free to all 216 participants, Rescue $500/person and Logistics $350/person figured for 196 people total. Medical $350/person figured for 20 people. Medical is separated from the other two courses because an outside entity from the fire service may be providing the whole Medical Group. This provides three persons deep for each position allowing for constant manning. The resource for the training is a company called Rescue Training Associates from Deerfield Beach, FL. They are one of the premiere resources for this type of training. If offered the contract for the training, they will provide the needed WMD components for free.
3. Reimbursements- $994,386. This reimburses all personnel to be sent by their respective agencies to train and be replaced in their home jurisdictions.
4. WMD certification- $1,515,014. This provides the training, reimbursement and needed medical evaluations needed for WMD certifications for task forces.
5. Grand total- $4,500,000 for the initial year.

Annual Funding

1. Annual Disaster Exercise held here in Kansas- $185,000
2. Reimbursements-$449,500. Again, this reimburses personnel to attend the training annually to keep up to speed.
3. Maintain Cache- $10,000. Replaces outdated medications and replaces/repairs equipment and supplies.
4. Administration- $16,500. Provides stationary, postage, file storage, records tracking, long distance phone charges and training records for each participant and the labor to accomplish this for one year.
5. Grand total- $651,000.

Recently, FEMA has been purchasing second equipment caches for each task force. It is their opinion that there are three positions deep on each task force and it may be more time efficient to have a second equipment cache available for each task force. If the "A" crew has already been activated, then the "B" crew may respond to assist or to be sent somewhere else if the need is there. This came about as a result of the World Trade Center incident. The air traffic system was paralyzed and the military was already activated for defense. Therefore the teams had to go by ground and the private airlines were not prepared for the cargo that needed to be transported. FEMA has now decided that any continental US incidents will go by ground, therefore the second equipment cache will come in handy in large incidents.

It is the opinion of the development committee that KSTF-1 pursue the original task force concept and become actualized before pursuing the second equipment cache. Again, this will be step one of the larger process. Once KSTF-1 is up and running, the second equipment cache will be pursued.

KSTF-1 is a resource available for Public Safety to use as needed. Full deployments on a large-scale disaster as described in this plan are what KSTF-1 is being prepared for. Modular deployment would be available in the event an AHJ would experience an incident that does not require the full task force but local resources are unable to mitigate. Formal declarations still need to be formed in order for this to happen.

The largest funding expenditure by far is the training and maintenance to obtain a constant state of readiness. This readiness will reduce the response time significantly in large disasters. Creating an in-state resource is the best way Public Safety can provide a response to disasters either man-made or natural.

The State of Kansas will be responsible for the initial training, equipment procurement, and ongoing budget. The largest cost is the personnel and that is reflective of the laws concerning wages and hours. The budget requested is generous and full expenditure of the entire budget is not expected.

We need the State to come behind us in Public Safety in an effort to organize and protect Kansans in the best way possible.