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Special Operations Team Organization
The Rogers Fire Department's Special Operations Team is
responsible for a coordinated response to Hazardous
Materials, high/low
angle rescue, confined space rescue, water rescue, and
collapse rescue incidents. The team is staffed as a
task force, comprised of both specialized members of the
technical rescue team and other members of the fire
department who support the operation. The Special
Operations Team is housed at Station 5 as part of the Truck
5 and Medic 5 crew. Members formally assigned as part
of this team receive an additional monthly stipend for the
expertise.
The Special Operations Team drills monthly on various
skills. The entire department also conducts annual training sessions on a variety of
specialized skills designed to support and supplement the
Special Operations Team.
Within the next year the Rogers Fire Department will receive
a new heavy rescue truck being built by Rosenbauer Fire
Apparatus. Some of the recent accomplishments of the
Special Operations Team include:
- Purchase of a new set of Holmatro
extrication tools for Rescue 5 (November
2009)
- Purchase of a new set of Holmatro
extrication tools for Truck 1 (May 2009)
- Purchase of a new set of Holmatro
extrication tools for Truck 5 (October 2009)
- Purchase of hazardous materials
protective equipment and detection monitors
(April - Oct 2009)
- Complete overhaul of technical rescue
hardware (September 2009)
- Consolidation of three rescue units into
one heavy rescue and two truck companies
with extrication capability (May 2009)
- Acquisition of water rescue equipment,
included Ocean ID Rapid Deployment Boat (May
2009)
- Acquisition of confined space and rope
rescue equipment (April 2009)
Although the Special Operations Team serves as a
combination, multi-hazard team we also have six (6) members
who serve as designated participants on the Northwest Arkansas Regional Hazmat
response team. Participation in this team allows for
the local Rogers Fire Department response to be supplemented quickly with additional certified
responders and specialized equipment from the surrounding
cities of Fayetteville, Springdale, and Bentonville.
The regional response vehicle used by the team is housed at
Springdale Fire Station 6. By using regional
resources, a pool of quality responders can be made available to the
community at a reduced cost.
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