Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)

OXNARD CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT

URBAN SERACH AND RESCUE PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The City of Oxnard’s Urban Search and Rescue Programs is based at the city’s Fire Station # 8 facility. The program provides for local, regional and statewide response capabilities. The Fire Departments’ Urban Search and Rescue Technicians have received over 200 hours of Technical Rescue training. Oxnard’s US&R Program provides technical rescue capabilities to the community in high hazard disciplines including: Trench Rescue, Confined Space Rescue, High Angle Rope Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, Collapsed Structure Shoring, GPS Mapping and disaster based Search and Rescue.

The City of Oxnard US&R Team is supplied and transported in the city’s US&R Apparatus US&R 68. US&R 68 is equipped to meet the Type 1 “Heavy” standards set forth by the State of California’s Office of Emergency Services and FIRESCOPE. This type of apparatus and equipment cache represents the highest capability recognized for an individual US&R Resources in the state. US&R 68 is cross staffed with personal from Truck Company 68.

Local Response

Within the city limits US&R 68 responds city wide as part of any “Technical Rescue” type emergency. Also part of a “Technical Rescue” response would be Truck 68, Engine 68 and the closest Engine Company by GPS location to the emergency. In addition, Truck 61 will also respond to assist with additional personal and aerial ladder capability.

County Wide Response

Three Fire Departments in Ventura County (Oxnard City, Ventura City, and Ventura County) have a specialized mutual aid agreement which provides Urban Search and Rescue personnel and equipment to “Technical Rescue” incidents that exceed a single agency’s capabilities. Each agency provides for a Type 1 “Heavy” Apparatus with six trained personal who are capable of responding anywhere in the County of Ventura daily.

California OES US&R Regional Task Force 7 Response

The Oxnard Fire Department, Ventura County and Ventura City Fire Department’s are also all participating agencies in staffing and equipping California Office of Emergency Services (OES) US&R Regional Task Force 7. US&R Regional Task Force 7, is a 30 person US&R Task Force which provides highly trained personnel, to support five functional elements: Supervision, Search, Rescue, Medical, and Logistics to respond anywhere in the state of California for major emergencies daily.