Rob Jackson, P.E. Design and Construction Management Division
City and County of Denver, Colorado Our world is in many ways a
potentially vulnerable place, especially when the power of
natural hazards or a diabolical bombing results in the tragedy
of a building collapse. Such disasters present challenges to our
communities to protect and preserve human life and safety. One
of the first goals in such an event is to find and rescue
trapped victims. The primary group providing these indispensable
services is the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team. Emergency
response to a potential disaster involves many participants,
often with multiple roles and sometimes overlapping
responsibilities. The roles of USAR members are specific to the
task of locating, rescuing and treating entrapped victims of the
structural collapse of buildings, viaducts, bridges or similar
structures. Public works employees may provide valuable skills
and experience in support of or as a part of USAR teams. This
support may be to either the Fed