[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 18 (Thursday, February 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S1659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CORZINE (for himself and Mr. Lautenberg):
  S. 446. A bill to direct the Director of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency to designate New Jersey Task Force 1 as part of the 
National Urban Search and Rescue Response System; to the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. CORZINE. Mr. President, I rise today to offer legislation that 
would designate New Jersey's elite urban search and rescue team, New 
Jersey Task Force One, as part of the National Urban Search and Rescue 
Response System.
  I am proud to be joined by my colleague from New Jersey, Senator 
Frank Lautenberg, in introducing this legislation today. And I am also 
pleased that my colleague, Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, has 
introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives.
  New Jersey Task Force One is a team comprised of career and volunteer 
fire, police, and EMS personnel from all 21 counties in New Jersey. The 
primary mission of the NJTFO is to provide advanced technical search 
and rescue capabilities to victims who are trapped or entombed in 
collapsed buildings. The NJTFO is a world-class operation whose 
response system mirrors the Federal Emergency Management Agencies 
guidelines on urban search and rescue and the appropriate National Fire 
Protection Association Standards.
  The training, commitment, and expertise of the NJTFO has saved lives. 
In fact, New Jersey Task Force One was one of the first units to arrive 
on the scene at the World Trade Center on September 11, and they 
bravely conducted search, rescue, medical, and planning and logistics 
operations on site.
  In this era of terrorism and heightened homeland security we should 
be doing all we can to show our commitment to our first responders. 
This designation would do just that for New Jersey Task Force One. More 
importantly, by making NJTFO a part of the National Urban Search and 
Rescue Team they would be eligible for Federal funding that is vital to 
helping them fulfill their mission. The honor of joining the other 28 
members of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System is a 
recognition that the NJTFO is more than deserving of.
  I urge the Senate to enact this legislation and ask for a copy of 
this bill to be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 446

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. ADDITION OF TASK FORCE TO NATIONAL URBAN SEARCH 
                   AND RESCUE RESPONSE SYSTEM.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, 
     demonstrated the importance of enhancing national domestic 
     terrorism preparedness;
       (2) 26 of the 28 urban search and rescue task forces 
     included in the National Urban Search and Rescue Response 
     System of the Federal Emergency Management Agency were called 
     into action in the wake of the events of September 11;
       (3) highly qualified, urban search and rescue teams not 
     included in the National Urban Search and Rescue Response 
     System were the first teams in New York City on September 11;
       (4) the continuing threat of a possible domestic terrorist 
     attack remains an important mission for which the United 
     States must prepare to respond; and
       (5) part of that response should be to increase the number 
     of urban search and rescue task forces included in the 
     National Urban Search and Rescue Response System.
       (b) Addition of New Jersey Task Force 1.--The Director of 
     the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall designate New 
     Jersey Task Force 1 as part of the National Urban Search and 
     Rescue Response System.
                                 ______