USAR Teams Continue Live-Saving Efforts

January 22, 2010 -- I know many of you have seen footage of the latest life-saving efforts of our Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams deployed in Haiti.

It has been incredibly gratifying to witness their awe-inspiring work as they race against the clock in the face of enormous danger and adversity to save so many people who remain trapped in the rubble of the January 12 earthquake. I am proud to say that as of early today, our members have been credited with rescuing at least 43 people.

Some USAR teams have now been in Haiti for more than a week, and others were on standby awaiting deployment. Search and rescue activities continue under the direction of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations. Teams from the United States and Canada that were deployed and those that stood ready for deployment before being released by either USAID or the Canadian government include:

• Virginia (Fairfax County TF1 and Virginia Beach TF2)
• California (Los Angeles County TF2)
• Florida (Miami-Dade County TF1 and Miami TF2)
• New York City (TF1)
• Ohio (TF1)
• Texas (TF1)
• California (Orange County TF5 and Sacramento TF7)
• Toronto
• Vancouver

As our USAR teams continue their life-saving work, their efforts reaffirm just how vital each member of this union is to their own community – and to the rest of the world.

The specialized skills that our USAR and Canadian Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) teams of highly-trained professional fire fighters possess are urgently needed in rescue and recovery efforts domestically and internationally. The IAFF will continue to strongly support the immediate deployment of these teams in an emergency. And we will do everything we can to urge Congress and Parliament to provide the funding necessary to ensure that our USAR and HUSAR teams have all the resources and training they need to respond to emergencies and save lives – wherever they're needed.


Fraternally,


Harold Schaitberger
General President