EMPACT Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Task Force is an all-volunteer, non-governmental team that provides specialized rescue and medical services after disasters. This includes locating and extricating victims and providing emergency treatment to those who have been trapped in collapsed structures, or otherwise affected by disaster. The team meets FEMA and UN training and equipment standards, and provides technically specialized response personnel to all who benefit in times of need.
Specialized rescue services are labor intensive and expensive. Maintaining professional standards for qualified rescue specialties requires many hours of training and specialty equipment. Tripling the current number of national USAR resources would not meet the domestic need during the aftermath of mega quakes, super hurricanes or equivalent scale disasters. Highly specialized teams who are properly equipped are rare, especially in poor countries which are most vulnerable to disaster.
Because EMPACT USAR is a non-governmental team, we have the autonomy to respond to a wide variety of domestic and international locations. We are staffed with volunteers who are technically competent and can be deployed at a fraction of the cost of career based teams. Our volunteer model certainly has its merits economically and as an adjunct resource to to federal teams here at home. We provide valuable services in places where federal teams are not deployed.
In addition to immediate response and mitigation, EMPACT Northwest is in a unique position to train and support high risk communities before a disaster strikes. Dollar for dollar, this is the single most effective strategy in saving lives, before future disasters occur. Educating local responders and at-risk international communities is key to increasing self sufficiency and rescue capacity. Your support of our members allow us to deliver these vital services, before the next "big one."
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