U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) lauded an announcement on Friday that New Jersey Task Force One (NJ-TF1) had been formally designated as the state’s urban search and rescue team.
Prior to the formal designation, the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Strategic Group had unanimously recommended that NJ-TF1 join the 28 teams that comprise the country’s National Urban Search & Rescue System.
“Let’s face it, we live in an increasingly dangerous world and these search and rescue teams, professionals and volunteers alike, are our best and most important lines of defense,” Frelinghuysen said. “In their hands is one of our nation’s greatest missions: protecting our homeland. This final, formal federal designation will enhance New Jersey’s security, provide the task force with more funding for training and equipment and ensure they remain at the ‘top of their game’ in the event of any disaster.”
Frelinghuysen first introduced legislation to provide federal designation for NJ-TF1 in 2002.
“Well before the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the members of the New Jersey Task Force One Urban Search and Rescue Team were on their way to the World Trade Center — among the first search and rescue teams on the ground that fateful morning,” Frelinghuysen said. “Not only have the members of this team proven they are worthy of such designation — there is no question about it, New Jersey needs its own federally supported team. Frankly, we should have to wait no longer. FEMA should have made this designation years ago.”
FEMA considers multiple factors in making a federal designation, including a task force’s experience, population density, critical infrastructure, number and age of structures, geographic coverage, and threat assessments.