Utah Task Force 1 is an elite 70-person team which is part of Salt Lake Urban Search and Rescue. The task force was established in 1989 and is part of FEMA’s nation search and rescue response. Utah Task Force 1 can be deployed by FEMA, and has been used after Hurricane Katrina and the World Trade Center attacks. Utah Task Force 1 has been asked to help in the search and rescue mission in Haiti. The elite team arrived in Haiti this week.
Utah Task Force 1 is using the Coordinated NIMS Incident Planner (CNIP) to help find bodies in the rubble in Haiti after the massive earthquake over one week ago. CNIP is a special software that can operate without the internet and when no electrical power is available, which as in Haiti’s earthquake aftermath is desperately needed.
"We are very proud that Utah Task Force 1 identified CNIP as the ideal software to coordinate their efforts," says Mark Johnson, ESIS President and CNIP co-developer. "Disaster relief operations will definitely require multiple operational periods, each needing a new IAP and a separate set of ICS forms. In a major disaster, this could overwhelm any rescue organization. CNIP's fully flexible platform allows for constant changes and updating of the complex staffing requirements," Newswire reported.
"IronKey ensures the security of Utah's Incident Action Plan," says Dan Linehan, CNIP co-developer and retired San Francisco Police Sergeant. "An event like the Haitian disaster causes concern about protection, which complicates the planning process. Using CNIP on an IronKey means their IAP is mobile and secure and always ready for operational changes," Newswire reported.
In Haiti, the Utah Task Force was divided into two 35-member teams that provide 24-hour search and rescue operations; and are self-sufficient for the first 72-hours, according to the Utah Task Force 1 website. The teams are equipped with convoy vehicles that allow them to get through road blockages, and support them in hurricanes, tornadoes and other devastating weather disasters. The team also arrives with equipment that prepares them for anything, including chainsaws, chippers, etc.
For a slideshow of photos of the damage done during the Haiti earthquake, click here.
For information on how to donate to Haiti relief efforts, click here.
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Sources: Utah Task Force 1 and Newswire
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