Boone County task force one of 28 in the country

Missouri Task Force 1 specializes in search and rescue operations.

By Christian Losciale

Published Oct. 30, 2009

There are 27 other teams in the country like Missouri Task Force 1 of the Boone County Fire Protection District. The task force specializes in search and rescue operations in response to federal, regional and local disasters.

Rescue Team Manager Kurt Doolady knows why he serves on Missouri Task Force 1.

"For all of us, it's about making a difference, lending a helping hand," he said. "It's kind of personal fulfillment. I discovered I was fairly well suited for this position."

Doolady, who is also the captain of special operations for the Boone County Fire Protection District, is one of 210 people on the task force roster. Missouri Task Force 1 was added to the federal system in 1997. The Federal Emergency Management Services Agency oversees the federal money the forces get and the training requirements.

On Monday and Tuesday, FEMA representatives and other cities' task force members evaluated Missouri Task Force 1, said Dough Westhoff, program manager for the Task Force and Boone County Fire Protection District assistant chief.

"Training requirements continue to increase and continue to evolve into a more formalized system," Westhoff said. "You can imagine from the early days, it's developing into rigorous training standards.

Despite federal government mandates, the task force is still an asset to the regional and local communities for search and rescue operations and reacting to weather-caused destruction.

"The federal government has a right to call us," Westhoff said. "But there may be a building collapse in Columbia, Missouri where we can use that federal training."

In-state networks enable neighboring fire departments or the state fire marshal to request assistance from Missouri Task Force 1. Westhoff said the 210-person team is made up of civilian volunteers and emergency respondents.

Members are trained to use a variety of tools including demolition torches, ultrasonic listening devices, snake-like cameras and concrete-cutting saws.

"I am responsible for keeping all the equipment in a deployable state," said Lee Turner, Missouri Task Force 1 search manager and Boone County Fire Protection District lieutenant.

Within six hours of being summoned, the task force and its equipment need to deploy and dogs can sometimes go with the team. Turner said seven canines are nationally certified for disaster rescue and can smell live human scent, even if humans are under debris.

Beside the federal training mandates, there is a rotation system to ensure no task force members exhaust themselves. The 210 members are split into three teams of 70. Every third month, one team comes to the top of the rotation. So, the maximum number of respondents for a deployment is 70.

The first federal deployment for Missouri Task Force 1 came Sept. 11, 2001.

"That was a life-changing event for all of us," Doolady said.

He and Westhoff said the task force expected to react to more natural disasters, such as tornado destruction or earthquake activity because the New Madrid fault line starts in southeastern Missouri.