Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Team
The USAR team after rope rescue training in the Pinnacles National Park.
US&R team drill practicing trench rescue operations
 Division Chiefs Joe Pastore and Felix Colello at WMD drill in Marina, CA.
Air compressor trailer used for heavy pneumatic tools.
Structure collapse training at NASA's USAR training facility at Moffett Field, CA.
Structure collapse training at NASA's USAR training facility at Moffett Field, CA.
Structure collapse training at NASA's USAR training facility at Moffett Field, CA.
Structure collapse training at NASA's USAR training facility at Moffett Field, CA.
Structure collapse training at NASA's USAR training facility at Moffett Field, CA.
Structure collapse training at NASA's USAR training facility at Moffett Field, CA.
Nine team members attended a 100 hour Advanced Shoring Class at TEEX in College Station, Texas.
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HEADQUARTERS
North County Fire Station One
11200 Speegle Street
Castroville, CA 95012
(831) 633-2578 or (831) 722-7833
SERVING:
Castroville, Elkhorn, Las Lomas, Moss Landing, Oak Hills, Pajaro, Prunedale, and Royal Oaks
US&R MEMBERSHIP
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North County Fire District
Joseph Pastore, Division Chief
John Hasslinger, Captain
Don Harvey, Lt.
Jess Mendoza, Lt.
Brian Wilson, Lt.
John Baldwin, Firefighter
Jeff Tucker, Firefighter
Aaron Daniels, Firefighter
Manuel Madrigal, Firefighter
Jonathan Ruskell, Firefighter
Monterey County Regional Fire Protection District
Dave Sargenti, Division Chief
Monterey City Fire
Stewart Roth, Division Chief
HISTORY
Since its inception in 1998 as the Technical Rescue Team, the team reorganized in
2001 as the Monterey County Urban Search and Rescue Team. The US&R team continues
to be a primary component to the County's Urban Search and Rescue response.
In January 2006, we put in service an air compressor trailer used for operating
jack hammers and concrete drilling tools. This old surplus unit from the City of
Monterey was completely refurbished by North County Fire District personnel: Captain
Marvin Lenz and Captain Joel Mendoza.
Federal grants received in 2005 also enabled the team to add another apparatus and
additional equipment to our inventory. The Salinas Rural Fire District recently
put in service a Ford F-550 heavy utility vehicle with a large goose neck trailer.
The unit is designed to carry equipment used for trench rescue and building shoring.
It is assigned to the Toro Station.
TRAINING
US&R members particpated in six drills and completed over 480 hours of training
during 2006. The training included two 12-hour scenario based drills.
The first drill was a well rescue scenario which involved a mannequin trapped 15'
below grade in a 20" vertical well pipe. Initially, a rescuer was lowered into the
pipe but was unable to access the mannequin. It was then decided to dig a trench
next to the well. The trench was shored then member tunneled from the trench to
the well. Once there, the steel well casing was cut and the rescue was made.
The second drill was a terrorist scenario involving a bomb that collapsed a multi-story
structure at the NASA training site in San Jose. This drill involved setting up
a formal command structure, working with search dog teams, constructing emergency
building shoring, air monitoring, concrete breaching, and victim removal.
RESPONSES
The team was deployed to 14 incidents during 2006.
8 - High Angle Rescues
4 - Missing Person Search
1 - Wilderness Rescue
1 - Animal Rescue
GOALS
To certify all members to the Swift Water Rescue Awareness level and purchase equipment
to enable the team to provide, at a minimum, the capability to make non-entry swift
water rescues.
To enhance our capability from a California OES Type I company and crew to a State
US&R Task Force. It will require the addition of a Search Dog and Hazardous Materials
component to our team.
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