Virginia Task Force 1, Fairfax County’s urban search and rescue team, has received an alert/activation order from the federal government to prepare for deployment in the gulf region as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

Activated as a Type III task force, a total of 34 personnel are to be mobilized to the affected region for search and rescue operations. The Type III concept was developed to meet a need to provide a smaller light search and rescue capability. This “modular” response concept was designed for events involving damage to lightweight wood structures including homes and strip malls, typically consistent with weather related incidents. Team composition includes a task force leader, specialists in the fields of search, rescue, canine, communications, logistics, planning, safety and structural engineering, as well as medical and hazardous materials specialists.

Virginia Task Force 1 has partnerships with the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency for domestic response and the United States Agency for International Development/Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance during international missions. As a part of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, the task force maintains constant operational readiness as a local resource for residents of Fairfax County and surrounding jurisdictions.