CARLSBAD, Calif.—The City of Carlsbad Fire Department is hosting a large-scale training for two of California’s Regional Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces on Wednesday, Feb. 14 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Legoland California theme park.
The Carlsbad Fire Department, in partnership with San Marcos Fire Department and CAL FIRE, received official designation as California Regional Task Force 13 last year. RTF 13 is one of eleven California Regional Task Forces in the state and is the only one of its kind in San Diego County.
RTF 13 is a 30-person Regional Task Force equipped to provide support to local, regional, tribal, and state agencies. The regional task force model is based on the principle of fast, light, and mobile response and is designed to provide support quickly and efficiently to complex incidents that require assistance beyond an initial alarm.
RTF 3, based out of Long Beach, will also participate in the Feb. 14 mobilization exercise at Legoland. Task force members will perform a variety of technical search and rescue operations during a mock earthquake scenario. Completion of mobilization exercises like this will soon become a Cal OES requirement for all RTFs to remain deployable.
Legoland California theme park will be closed to the public for the day. The training will commence at 8 a.m. with both units being dispatched to Legoland to respond to a simulated earthquake. RTF 13 is expected to arrive by 8:45 a.m. RTF 3 will travel from Long Beach and is expected to arrive by 11 a.m. In addition to the 60 task force members, there will also be volunteers present serving as role players, proctors, and evaluators.
RTFs are specially trained and equipped for medium to complex urban search and rescue operations. Both task forces will be evaluated on their response and operational capabilities during the technical search and rescue operations, which include rollercoaster rescues and a parking structure collapse.
The recent designation of RTF 13 significantly enhances response capabilities in San Diego County and the Southern California region. Regional Task Forces can operate independently, alongside other RTFs, and can also operate alongside state and FEMA US&R task forces.
Funding for this exercise was provided by the California Office of Emergency Services and the California Specialized Training Institute.
For more information, please visit:
Special Operations | California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
Event Contact
Jeff Adams, CalOES Assistant Chief of Special Operations, 916-330-0953 or jeff.adams@caloes.ca.gov
