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.