[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 236 (Friday, December 6, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64744-64745]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31074]


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FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY


Notice of Solicitation for Grant Applications; National Urban 
Search and Rescue Response System

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: FEMA is soliciting applications for membership in the National 
Urban Search and Rescue Response System. This solicitation is to add 
two heavy search and rescue task forces to the 25 urban search and 
rescue task forces currently sponsored by the Agency. Selectees will be 
eligible for grant funding from FEMA for urban search and rescue 
training and equipment required to meet program standards.

DATES: Interested organizations should request an application package 
from FEMA as soon as possible. Grant applications must be submitted to 
the appropriate FEMA Regional office before January 14, 1997. 
Selections will be announced by March 26, 1997. Grant funds will be 
awarded before September 30, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Requests for application packages should be addressed to 
US&R Program Manager, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street 
SW., room 609, Washington, DC 20472, or by facsimile to (202) 646-4684.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark R. Russo, US&R Program Manager, 
Emergency Services Branch, Operations and Planning Division, Response 
and Recovery Directorate, (202) 646-2701.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of Solicitation is hereby given that 
funding for Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) equipment and training will be 
available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 
order to augment the existing capabilities of heavy search and rescue 
teams sponsored by local jurisdictions. The intention is to strengthen 
local teams with existing capability in search and rescue at the heavy 
operational level (as defined in National Fire Protection Association 
Standard 1470) and bring these teams into the FEMA National Urban 
Search and Rescue Response System. Currently, there are 25 US&R task 
forces that make up the FEMA National Urban Search & Rescue Response 
System. Two new task forces will be selected as a result of this 
solicitation. Each new task force selected will be sponsored by a local 
jurisdiction, endorsed by a State, and recommended by a national panel 
of technical experts to FEMA headquarters. Following the initial 
screening process, FEMA will sponsor on-site visits by technical 
experts to those teams that the technical review process indicates are 
highly qualified. Task forces selected to enter the National System 
will be provided grants in the amount of $500,000 each during Fiscal 
Year 1997, for equipment and training necessary to meet program 
standards. Funds will be provided through amendment of the State's 
Performance Partnership Agreement with its respective FEMA Region, and 
then sub-allocated by the State to the sponsoring jurisdiction. Further 
details on grant procedures will be provided after task force 
selections have been made. All applications for this program must be 
submitted to and endorsed by the State emergency management agency of 
the sponsoring organization.
    A technical review panel selected by FEMA and consisting of 
individuals with expertise and experience in the urban search and 
rescue field will review and assess, among other items, each local 
jurisdiction's personnel qualifications and on-hand equipment

[[Page 64745]]

against criteria contained in a solicitation package that will be 
provided to applicants by FEMA upon request.
    Personnel qualifications are to address one or several staff in the 
following positions: Task Force Leader, Safety Officer, Planning 
Officer, Search Team Manager, Canine Search Specialist, Technical 
Search Specialist, Rescue Team Manager, Rescue Squad Officer, Rescue 
Specialist, Medical Team Manager, Medical Specialist, Technical Team 
Manager, Structures Specialist, Hazardous Materials Specialist, Heavy 
Rigging Specialist, Technical Information Specialist, Communications 
Specialist, and Logistics Specialist.
    Equipment lists contained in the solicitation package address the 
following types of equipment: Rescue, medical, technical, 
communications, and logistical support. In addition to reviewing the 
capabilities of the local jurisdiction against the listed criteria, 
FEMA will also consider the geographical location of the applicants to 
ensure a capability broadly distributed across the United States.
    Local capabilities will be evaluated on how well they currently 
meet the required criteria of the 25 FEMA recognized US&R task forces 
in the National US&R Response System. Evaluation for acceptance into 
the National US&R Response System will be based on, but not limited to, 
the following factors:
    1. Is there a local and/or regional need for a US&R task force?
    2. Is there State or local sponsorship for a task force?
    3. Is there a financial commitment on the part of State and local 
government sponsors to fund local training and administrative costs 
associated with a US&R task force?
    4. Is there local administrative/finance infrastructure in place 
which will allow for development and maintenance of a US&R task force?
    5. Are there sufficient management level personnel within the 
sponsoring organization with experience in managing large, complex 
operations who will be involved in the management of the task force?
    6. Are there adequate local personnel resources to staff a US&R 
task force fully (62 positions with three personnel rostered for each 
position), including such specialized positions as structural 
engineers, canine handlers, and emergency medicine board certified 
physicians, without adversely affecting the ability of the sponsoring 
organization to respond to local emergencies?
    7. Do personnel in the sponsoring organization have experience in 
collapsed structures and search and rescue operations, i.e., search, 
rescue, medical and technical operations?
    8. Does the sponsoring organization have the financial commitment 
to develop and maintain an extensive, dedicated, equipment cache which 
includes specialized communications, medical care, search, safety, 
rescue, technical operations, and logistics equipment? Are there 
currently adequate, secure facilities for storage and maintenance of 
the equipment cache?
    9. Does the sponsoring organization have the capability to be self-
sufficient, both personnel and equipment, for 72 hours to sustain a 10-
day operation?
    10. Is there an ongoing training/exercise certification program in 
structural collapse search and rescue operations?
    11. Are adequate US&R training facilities available?
    12. Does the sponsoring organization have access to an appropriate 
airlift facility that will accommodate wide-body military aircraft?
    In addition to the review for technical merit by a panel of 
national experts, FEMA will consider the following geographic factors 
in the final selections for funding: A balanced geographic distribution 
of task forces throughout the nation; seismic hazard, including the 
historic occurrence of damaging earthquakes, as well as probable 
seismic activity; hurricane potential, including the historic 
occurrence of damaging hurricanes; total population and major urban 
concentrations exposed to such risks; and other factors including the 
loss, damage, or disruption of which by man-made or natural means would 
have serious national impacts upon national security, such as 
industrial concentrations, concentrations or occurrences of natural 
resources, financial/economic centers and national defense facilities.
    The project for which the grant application is made is for the 
augmentation of training and equipment needed by the applicant, as 
determined by comparing their existing resources and capabilities with 
the criteria of current FEMA US&R task forces. Federal funds made 
available through this program to organizations sponsoring task forces 
selected to become part of the National Urban Search and Rescue 
Response System must be directed at a specific list of objectives 
intended to eliminate the shortfall of equipment and training and 
provide a direct benefit to the capability of the task force.
    Grant application packages must be submitted by the endorsing State 
emergency management agency to the appropriate FEMA Regional Office, 
Attention: Regional Director.
James L. Witt,
Director.
[FR Doc. 96-31074 Filed 12-5-96; 8:45 am]
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