[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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