Grant Sought for Search, Rescue Team

Ventura County supervisors authorized fire officials Tuesday to apply for a federal grant to form an “urban search and rescue team” that would be trained and equipped to better respond to major disasters, such as earthquakes.

If the county Fire Department is selected, it could receive a grant of up to $500,000 to set up the 62-member team, which would include firefighters, doctors, paramedics and structural engineers.

A portion of the money would also be used to help purchase tools to assist in heavy rescues, such as special cameras and sound equipment to locate victims of a collapsed building, Assistant Fire Chief Dave Festerling said.

During the 1994 Northridge earthquake and the 1995 La Conchita mudslide, the county had to rely on personnel and equipment from Los Angeles and San Diego, Festerling said.

Once an urban search and rescue team is established, it could respond to major disasters anywhere in the world, he said. Deployment expenses would be reimbursed by the federal government.

An announcement on the grant is expected by April, he said.

There are 25 such teams around the country, including eight in California, Festerling said. The state has a high number of teams largely because of the danger of earthquakes, he said.