Countywide : Elite Squad of Disaster Specialists Gearing Up

Orange County’s new Urban Search and Rescue squad should be ready for action by the end of the year, officials said this week.

The 168-member squad, which county officials have been assembling for the past two years, is designed to respond swiftly to natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes.

The group consists of firefighters, doctors and nurses, as well as structural engineers and building experts who can be dispatched quickly to trouble spots within the county and around the country.

The team is one of eight in the state and 25 in the nation, said Patrick Walker, an Orange County Fire Department marshal.

County officials created the team in a partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which donated $100,000 to the effort.

About $500,000 worth of equipment has been purchased for the team, which is scheduled to train at March Air Force Base in the fall. The squad should be fully operational by the first of the year, Walker said.

Members of the squad helped during the Northridge earthquake. Members of the team also were readied for action when a hurricane was headed for Hawaii in July. Ultimately, the team was not needed.

The team can respond to a variety of disasters. During a major quake, the team would use search dogs and sound equipment to search for people under the rumble of collapsed buildings, Walker said.