Some of the cache is made up of material handling
equipment and supplies that are difficult to attain when working in a disaster
area.
TX-TF1 maintains a state-of-the-art equipment cache that
includes:
Transportation Assets
- Two semi-tractors and trailers to transport the cache on
aviation pallets.
- Several 24 or 28 foot box trucks to transport rescue and
logistics supplies needed for immediate search and rescue.
- Two stake bed trucks
are utilized to move equipment and personnel and can be utilized as high
profile vehicles for the evacuation of survivors during a flood.
- F350, F450 and
F550 pickup trucks are utilized to haul equipment trailers, boats and
personnel during a response.
- Fifteen passenger vans are used to move task
force members and canines on instate deployments as well as contracting for
motor coaches to move the bulk of the personnel
Search Equipment
Technical Search Specialists utilize several electronic
tools that enhance the searchers' abilities to locate survivors in parallel
effort with the Canine Search Teams.
- Search cameras are used to peer into void
spaces that personnel and canines cannot access.
- Thermal imaging camera is used
to find survivors that are warmer than their surroundings when there is low visibility or at night.
- Seismic listening
devices are utilized to triangulate on the area where survivors are buried
deeply in a rubble pile.
Rescue Equipment
The rescue personnel utilize
- concrete cutting saws
- concrete
breakers
- coring tools
- engineered shoring systems
Cranes and other heavy equipment are sometimes necessary to gain access to and
extricate survivors from collapsed structures, which is why the following is included:
- hydraulic jacks
- hydraulic rescue tools
- airbags
- heavy rigging
equipment
Hazardous Material Monitoring Equipment
Current versions of multi-gas monitoring devices for hazardous
atmospheres. For the safety of the responders and survivors, chemical and radiological monitoring equipment is used to clearly
delineate:
- cold zones (not affected)
- warm zones (working area where survivors
may be located)
- hot zones (area too dangerous to enter)
Medical Equipment
A comprehensive medical cache
which the physicians and medical specialist use primarily for the health and
welfare of the task force members. All of the advanced life support equipment,
pharmacology supplies, and equipment are tailored to work in an austere environment
and lifesaving modalities for crush victims.
Technical Equipment
There are many pieces of technical equipment that make
a big difference in working on or around collapsed structures.
The Nikon Total Station is a very powerful tool
that can be used to make ultra-accurate measurements to determine if a building
is stable and appropriate for search and rescue operations or that the building
requires additional stabilization before proceeding.
Water Rescue Equipment
A very large portion of the Task Force's cache supports the
State's and FEMA's flood and swiftwater response operations. All 30 of the
boats are trailered for immediate deployment and there are ample boat motors
for continuous operation in the event of mechanical failure.
The water rescue
cache also includes specialized rope launching apparatus and equipment to
support tethered rescues when motorized boat operation is deemed too dangerous.
Helicopter Equipment
The Task Force has partnered with Texas Military Forces
aviation units for over ten years.
Twenty-eight members are equipped with
personal protective gear for both water and land based rescues.
The cache
includes the necessary rescue appliances like Coast Guard victim baskets for
ten helicopters.
Logistics Equipment and Supplies
It is imperative that the Task Force is logistically
self-sufficient for the first 72 hours of operation and is able to function for
10 to 14 days. The cache includes
- basic shelter with generated power
- meals
ready to eat
- bottled water for the initial 72 hours
- many of the
blades, bits and replacement parts that are critical to the continued operation
of the above equipment.
