Urban Search & Rescue Team

The US&R program is headquartered at Company 2, the department's main station. The Company consists of Engine 2, Truck 2, and Rescue 2 with a roster of more than 50 personnel trained to the CALEMA Type 1 (Heavy) Level. In 2010, full-size Pierce Rescue vehicle was added. This vehicle was purchased through a public-private partnership using U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Assistance to Firefighters Grant funds, and funds donated by the local Food-4-Less grocery retailer.

The Stockton Fire Department US&R Team operates 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, with three shifts of seven personnel.  Of those seven personnel, a minimum of six personnel per shift, are trained to the CALEMA Type 1 (Heavy) level.

The US&R Team has a minimum of two paramedics on duty per day. And many of our members are cross-trained in Water Rescue and Hazardous Materials response, exceeding the minimum standards set by FEMA and CALEMA.

For more information, please contact the Stockton Fire Department US&R Team.

OES Urban Search and Rescue Resource Types

And since 1989, the requirements for US&R equipment and training have grown exponentially.  CALEMA now defines local agency resources based on standardized equipment lists, training levels, and operational capability. 

• Type 1 (Heavy) - Heavy Floor Construction, Pre-Cast Concrete Construction, Steel Frame Construction, High Angle Rope Rescue (including highline systems), Confined Space Rescue (permit required), and Mass Transportation Rescue.
• Type 2 (Medium) - Heavy Wall Construction, High-Angle Rope Rescue (not including highline systems), Confined Space Rescue (no permit required), and Trench and Excavation Rescue.
• Type 3 (Light) - Light Frame Construction and Low-Angle Rope Rescue.
• Type 4 (Basic) - Surface Rescue and Non-Structural Entrapment in Non-Collapsed Structures.

The Stockton Fire Department's US&R Team operates at the CALEMA Type 1 (Heavy) level with one Type 1 (Heavy) truck company and two Type 3 (Light) truck companies.  We provide comprehensive, specialized rescue services including:

• High-Angle Rope
• Confined Space
• Trench Rescue
• Structural Collapse
• Mass-Transportation Rescue

Training

The SFD operates a State Fire Marshal certified training site of regularly-scheduled:

• Low-Angle Rope Rescue Operational
• Rescue Systems I and 2
• Trench Rescue
• Confined-Space Rescue Technician courses 

This allows us to offer California State Fire Marshal certified classes to our members, personnel from outside agencies and private industry. The Stockton Fire Department US&R Team constructed a training facility with donated materials and grant funding at a minimal cost to the City of Stockton.  The training site, located at Company 2, offers an extensive training layout of:

• Intricate underground pipe maze
• Above and below ground vertical shafts
• Storage tanks
• Two-story multi-functional collapse structure
• Rubble pile that replicates conditions encountered at large structural collapse events

High-Angle Rescue training is conducted in the SFD training tower and at off-site locations.

External Links

FIRESCOPE
California Emergency Management Agency (CALEMA)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)