North Carolina Search & Rescue

North Carolina Search & Rescue

NC Search & Rescue Update Program Updates Strategic Planning Initiatives Available SAR Training SAR Goals What's new?

Program Overview Neighbor helping neighbor Partnership with NCAREMS and OSFM Entirely Local Resources Typed to NIMS standards Covered by Workers Compensation Endorsed by NCAREMS or Local Government/AHJ 7+ USAR 30+ Swiftwater 25+ Land SAR, 5+ Mountain Rescue Teams Up to 6 H-60 HART, Up to 2 UH-72 HART 1 B407/SHP HART

NC SAR Program Update Session Law 2014-21 Section 4 formally established NC SAR Program in 166A (Article 6) NCEM to prepared a report of what funding will be required to maintain the resource Established a Technical Advisory Committee to steer USAR and other Specialized SAR Resources NCEMA has representation on the USAR TAC

NC SAR Program Update Session Law 2014-21 Resulted in push for recurring program funding in the 2015-16 Appropriations Act Was initially funded in House however failed to make it through conference committee Funding was for comprehensive SAR program to help reduce dependency on federal grant funding

SAR Strategic Initiatives National Typing Starting in 2004, still waiting on products from NIC EMAC / State to State Mutual Aid Can be a funnel / choke point for resource requests Additional Personnel TERMS Enhancements

National Typing Standards Working with colleagues across the country to address gap Submitted position papers State SAR Coordinators Council SUSAR Board of Directors Continue to push for changes from NIC

EMAC Requests Can be a slow process for ESF9 Resources Tends to require extremely specific information Depth of qualified resources / Time to respond EMAC generally has 1-2 working requests, piles up quickly In discussion with key players on improvements

Personnel Changes Adding a Deputy SAR Coordinator Position to NCEM Should be able to get out in front of more SAR issues See an increased level of service Emergency Services Program Specialist Started and is working to update contact lists and other projects to increase communication

TERMS Enhancements Working with NCEM Logistics to enhance TERMS for Team Management Quickly fill org charts for deployments Quickly calculate cost estimates Enhance visibility on team needs Internal to team management Data to enhance programmatic level support to address statewide needs

Urban Search & Rescue Self contained 72 hour capability, up to two week deployments 12 / 24 hour capability Robust communications package Can function in wide range of missions: Structural Confined Space Trench Wide Area Search Wilderness Recon Swiftwater

USAR Strategic Initiatives Building out NC Structural Specialist (StS) Cadre Building out Disaster K9 Cadre Sustained funding to enable better long term planning

Swiftwater / Flood Rescue Self contained 72 hour capability, up to two week deployments May integrate with Helicopter Rescue Team May require logistical support and decon team Can function in wide range of conditions: Day / Night Wide Area Stream Urban Paddle Craft Power Boat

Swiftwater Paddle craft IRB (Zodiac 470/420) Requires at least 40-55 hp Prefer pump-jet style engine

Stillwater Rescue PaddleCraft / IRBs Flat Bottom Boats Turnout gear, still not safe Will require decon

Swiftwater Strategic Initiatives Night Operations Working to better develop more advanced night training / capability Advanced night capability is being established in each branch with training and NVGs L3 AN/PVS-31 Night Vision Goggles have been purchased as an initial step after a field trial / proof of concept exercise Operational for 2016 Hurricane Season

Swiftwater Strategic Initiatives Equipment Working to develop better equipment list / boat specification for NC Deployable Resources Swiftwater Rescue Boats are not HSPG eligible expenses We continue to push nationally to get this addressed

Helicopter Rescue Utilizes 3 distinct airframes based on mission UH-60 Blackhawk Up to 6 hoist, 10 aircraft UH-72 Lakota Up to 2 hoist, 4 aircraft Bell-407 Up to 1 aircraft NCHART missions include: Swiftwater / Flood Rescue Urban Rescue Wilderness Rescue High Angle Rescue

Helicopter Strategic Initiatives Long term sustainability 2015 In-doc Class Added 24 new rescue technicians in 2015 Operational Support Training For local rescue agencies on how to work in and around the airframes SEARCH & RESCUE Helps local agencies have better understanding of HART Operations

Helicopter Strategic Initiatives VMR-1 (PEDRO) demobilized as of September, 25 2015 Working to find alternatives to fill gaps left behind USCG and NC assets are not currently positioned to seamlessly fill the gap

Helicopter Strategic Initiatives Increase communication with partner agencies USCG airframes are now on VIPER Air Station Elizabeth City & Sector NC Joint Helicopter Rescue Training being planned for 2016 Working to get National Parks and other federal partners up on VIPER to help increase coordination

Wilderness Search & Rescue Wilderness Search & Rescue Capability 25+ Land Search Teams K9s (Air Scent, Tracking / Trailing, Cadaver) Knowing K9 resources critical to successful application on a mission

Wilderness Strategic Initiatives Working to develop NC Wilderness Credentialing Field Team Member / Field Team Leader NIMS Compliant Working to address decline in Air Scent / Tracking K9s in State

Wilderness Strategic Initiatives Working to address decline in SAR Management MLSO Classes in Coordination with T&E Inland SAR Planning USCG - April 11-15 th, 2016 Greenville, NC

Mountain Rescue SEARCH & RESCUE 5 Mountain Rescue Teams Snow / Ice Capability Enhanced Technical Rescue Cache for remote / wilderness area

Mountain Strategic Initiatives Training Standards NC Rescue & EMS new Mountain Standards NCEM Mountain Rescue Courses Awareness, Operations, and Technician Level In-State Instructor Cadre

Wilderness Law Enforcement Law Enforcement Integration in Wilderness Search Able to work in snow / ice Trained to pursue in remote / wilderness area Tactical tracking

Wilderness Law Enforcement Need for LE that is able to work in wilderness Several cases of SAR missions as well as law enforcement cases that required cross training Identified as weakness in NC, continuing to work to address needs

South Carolina Early Take-A-Ways Typing remains a tremendous issue nationally Lack of complete typing, lack of engagement with the SAR community is having impacts in large events This is an issue State SAR Coordinators are continuing to push nationally

South Carolina Early Take-A-Ways EMAC can be cumbersome in large scale incidents 1-2 Personnel trying to collect extremely detailed information Extremely time consuming Can delay getting resources to needs Requesting state has to be in state of emergency, does not provide support for cross state support of routine SAR cases

Information www.ncdps.gov Divisions > Emergency Management> Search & Rescue Brian Barnes State SAR Coordinator Office: 919-825-2255 Mobile: 919-815-5596 Email: Brian.barnes@ncdps.gov