Nashville Deploys Tennessee Task Force 2
Urban Search And Rescue Team To Rutherford County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2009
CONTACT: AMANDA SLUSS
615.880.2962 (OFFICE)
615.533.0978 (CELL)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management, upon receiving an official mutual aide request from Rutherford County Emergency Management officials, has deployed Metro’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team to Rutherford County to help search for storm victims.
“Murfreesboro has been hard hit by strong storms and tornadoes this afternoon,” said OEM Director Laura Hokenstad. “This community is in need of specialized assistance and Nashville is offering our full support.”
The 40-member USAR team responding to Rutherford County consists of trained experts from the Nashville Fire Department, Metro Public Works, Metro Police Department, General Services Administration, Metro Water Services, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center physician and four canine teams. USAR specialists respond to structural collapse incidents using high-tech fiber optic cameras, listening devices and trained search dogs to locate trapped victims. Team structural engineers devise plans to access trapped victims while other USAR members use concrete cutting tools, heavy equipment and rigging equipment to stabilize the structure and remove rubble.
Tennessee Task Force 2- Urban Search and Rescue Team (TN-TF 2) was established by executive order in 1995. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency authorized the designation of TN-TF 2 after the self-sustaining team met federal standards. Each Nashville USAR task force member is required to have standard USAR training in conjunction with his or her area of expertise.
Nashville USAR was most recently deployed to Lafayette, Tennessee in February 2008 to assist with search and rescue efforts after an EF-3 tornado touched down in Macon County. For more information, visit the team’s web site at www.TNTF2.org.