USAR Lifting Maze
Here are some pictures that Spartan Rescue shared on their Facebook page. It’s a USAR spin their Ratmaze that we posted a couple months ago. The pictures were taken at Virginia Beach SCT class. The Maze was built on a 4 ton slab of concrete and uses a bowling ball to travel the maze.
Photos by Jeremey Williams from Norfolk Fire. Go to Virginia Beach SCT class for more information about the class by Virginia Task Force 2.
Building Collapse
Rescue Methods BGSU 2021 Rescue Tech Series

Bowling Green State University State Fire School Certified Rescue Tech
These courses are NFPA compliant and covers all six disciplines of technical rescue operations. Students will utilize the latest and greatest equipment and will put learned skills to the test in intense hands-on scenarios.
General information on the Certified Rescue Technician Program.
Class Schedule
- Rope Rescue Technician
- Water Craft Ops / Swift Water Ops
- Confined Space Technician
- Vehicle & Machinery
- Trench Rescue Technician
- Structural Collapse Operations
Rescue Methods BGSU 2021 rescue tech series with structural collapse ops.
Building Collapse
Surfside Building Collapse

Surfside Building Collapse
National US&R Response System
6/30/2021
Currently, every Florida Urban Search and Rescue Task Force is deployed to the collapse of the Champlain Towers South.
Virginia Task Force-Two Activated to Florida – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has activated the Virginia Beach based Urban Search and Rescue Team, Virginia Task Force 2 (VATF2), to deploy to Surfside, Fla., to assist with the Surfside Condo collapse. VATF-2 USAR is one of 28 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Teams positioned across the country. The Virginia Beach Fire Department is the sponsoring agency for VATF-2.
6/27/2021
Current Operations: The National US&R Response System has deployed the following resources at the request of the State of Florida/Region IV; 4 Structures Specialists (from VA- TF2 & VA-TF1) as single resources, and the Blue Incident Support Team Mission Ready Package-Command-IST (15 personnel) to support the management of search and rescue operations. The following three System resources have been issued Alert Orders as NIMS Type 1 US&R Task Forces VA-TF2, VA- TF1 & OH-TF1.
Information Sources
Miami Dade Fire Rescue Dispatch & Initial Size-Up of the 12 Story Condominium Collapse on Miami Beach.
Update-to-date Information Sources
Task Forces
Shoring
Delivery Truck Into a Home
The type of call that can happen anywhere at anytime. It can be an impaired driver or a complete accident. Either way, it can happen and we need a plan to stabilize the structure especially if any occupants are trapped in the vehicle and/or the structure.

Vehicle into a Structure
The type of call that can happen anywhere at anytime. It can be an impaired driver or a complete accident. Either way, it can happen and we need a plan to stabilize the structure especially if any occupants are trapped in the vehicle and/or the structure. Do you have the right equipment to shore the structure? If not, who around you does and what’s their equipment cache and staffing levels for USAR type calls?
Here’s a few pictures that the Middlesex County Urban Search and Rescue Team posted on their Facebook page of a delivery truck that crashed into an occupied structure.