[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 25, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9226-S9227]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                       NEW JERSEY TASK FORCE ONE

 Mr. TORRICELLI. Mr. President, I rise today to bring to the 
attention of the Senate the outstanding efforts and contributions of 
the New Jersey Task Force One Urban Search and Rescue Team.
  On September 11, 2001 at approximately 9:00 a.m. New Jersey Task 
Force One was activated and deployed to the World Trade Center Attack. 
Requested by New York City's Office of Emergency Management, New Jersey 
Task Force One had an advance team in New York City by 11:15 a.m. The 
team's entire equipment cache, along with 140 members was set up at the 
Jacob Javits Center by 2:00 p.m. that same day. They deployed search 
assets to search for survivors during the afternoon and evening of the 
11th and for the next 10 days, they worked continuously as part of the 
urban search and rescue effort.
  In a short period of time, New Jersey Task Force One became an 
integral part of the rescue efforts. The team was integrated into the 
FEMA Urban Search and Rescue System and was included in the FEMA Urban 
Search and Rescue Action Planning. The well-equipped New Jersey Task 
Force One had the ability to lend critical equipment to some of the 
responding FEMA

[[Page S9227]]

teams and developed an excellent working relationship with many of 
these teams. Structural engineers and planners from New Jersey Task 
Force One were used by the FEMA Incident Support Team to brief the 
incoming FEMA teams as they rotated into New York City.
  FEMA gave an operational performance evaluation to New Jersey Task 
Force One for their participation related to the World Trade Center 
Operations. New Jersey Task Force One was rated as superior in six out 
of nine categories. Those categories included attitude, initiative, 
consideration for personnel welfare, obtain necessary equipment and 
supplies, physical ability for the job, and safety.
  With valor and honor, the members of New Jersey Task Force One have 
proven themselves as one of the finest Urban Search and Rescue teams in 
the country. It is for these reasons that my colleague, Senator Corzine 
and I introduced S. 2618 to designate New Jersey Task Force One as the 
29th National Urban and Search Rescue Team.
  New Jersey Task Force One was formed in 1997 and they have used the 
FEMA Urban Search and Rescue guidelines in its development. The team is 
organized under the New Jersey State Police Office of Emergency 
Management Domestic Preparedness and Hazardous Material Planning and 
Emergency Response Unit. The State provides an annual budget of $1.5 
million to support New Jersey Task Force One.
  The team consists of 180 members from over one hundred different 
fire, police and EMS agencies throughout the State. Over the past few 
years, New Jersey Task Force One has purchased the necessary cache of 
equipment, based on the FEMA equipment list, and has trained its 
members to FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Standards. New Jersey Task 
Force One is in the process of purchasing weapons of mass destruction 
response equipment.
  The 180 courageous men and women of New Jersey Task Force One have 
dedicated their lives to saving others. They have proven themselves to 
be highly qualified to join FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue System. I 
strongly believe that New Jersey Task Force One would enhance FEMA's 
Urban Search and Rescue program. I urge the FEMA Director to include 
New Jersey Task Force One as the 29th FEMA Urban Search and Rescue 
team. 

                          ____________________