In the wake of the attacks on 11 September 2001, the department determined that it needed to be better prepared and equipped for major disasters, such as terrorist attacks and bomb threats, as well as incidents of a less intentional nature, such as natural disasters, confined space and collapse rescues, and hazmat incidents.
To accomplish this, the department set up the Special Operations Task Force (SOTF), comprised of the crews of engine 2 and hazmat 2 from Seven Springs station, truck 5 from Winchester station, and rescue 3 from Los Gatos station. Intensive training and cross-training came first, and equipment was purchase thereafter.
While the department already had (and has) hazmat and rescue capabilities, the SOTF is designed to both extend and integrate these capabilities. The SOTF trains for technical rescue and body recovery at incidents involving hazardous and/or biological materials, as well as confined space or structure collapse rescues.
Members of the task force are trained and equipped:
for HAZMAT, SITSTAT, RESTAT, and personnel accountability
to be instructors and team leaders to develop response capability
to integrate with allied agencies, such as law enforcement and medical
While all members are cross-trained, engine 2 and hazmat 2 are primarily hazmat, while truck 5 and rescue 3's primary strength is technical rescue.
All task force members are trained for the following certifications:
CSTI hazmat tech
hazmat safety officer (company officers)
rescue systems I
in-house planning section
confined space operational
in-house interagency training with law enforcement
instructor 1A
in-house mass casualty incident training
In addition, truck 5 and rescue 3 crews are trained for:
rescue systems II
swift water rescue awareness
trench rescue
technical rope rescue
Hazmat 2 and engine 2 crews are trained for:
CSTI hazmat specialist/specialty
Special Operations requires a three-year minimum commitment, and rigorous and constant training.
In this evolution, the SOTF crews are practicing packaging and lowering a "victim" (for safety, a dummy is used) down the side of the training tower, using rescue lines and truck 5's ladder as a crane. One member escorts the victim down as they are lowered by a team on the ground. Note that these photos were taken during a number of cycles, but were placed in order to show the evolution. This is a complicated rescue; even with a 3:1 pulley being used, hoisting and lowering the victim and rescuer requires around three firefighters on the line, another controlling the line's brake, a firefighter on the safety line, and a firefighter on the guide line. And this doesn't include the rescuers up top, who packaged the victim, or the team leaders coordinating and communicating between the upper and lower teams. All told, this evolution requires the teamwork of at least 11 rescuers, all doing the right thing at the right time. All photos 20 Mar 2003.
SOTF crews are given a company sales presentation and an opportunity to evaluate and practice on a new gasoline/oxygen cutting torch. This torch works like an oxyacetylene torch, but uses gasoline, a much more common fuel. With the torch tip they are using, the torch will cut through up to 4" (100mm) of steel. With other tips, cutting through as much as 14" (355mm) of steel is possible. 20 Mar 2003.
In this evolution, the crew must move a 3 foot cube (1 cubic meter) concrete block over two spaced horizontal telephone poles, using only hand tools and cribbing material. This block weighs approximately 4150lbs (1840kg), or about as much as a large sport utility vehicle. The crews must be extremely careful, because a crushed hand or foot is a distinct possibility if the block is allowed to slip or drop. Helmets, and protective eyewear are required (including for the photographer), as is the observation by a safety officer (captain Neil Linney), monitoring all safety aspects of the operation.
Command procedures are also taught; during this particular evolution, the captains (red helmets) are not in charge, as FF/E/P Doug Young is given the responsibility for crew coordination and direction.
Note that in some of the photos, a second team can be seen practicing beside this one. During an actual rescue, the need for simultaneous activities to be carried out side by side requires that rescuers get used to the busy environment. All photos 20 Mar 2003.
Using techniques as old as the pyramids, the team levers the block up with prybars and places it on rollers (pipe). They then move the block to the first obstacle. As the rollers come out behind the block, they are transferred in front of it. The block is steered by using a prybar on one side or corner.
Once in position, the team lifts and shores, 2" (5cm) at a time, using 2" x 4" and 4" x 4" (5cm x 10cm and 10cm x 10cm) lumber and prybars. Working one side and then the other, they gradually lift the block up. Between the two telephone poles can also be seen the beginnings of the bridge they intend to use to transit the block.
As the block is raised, shoring must be positioned as pivot points for the prybars. This shoring rises with the block. Captain Mark Norman inspects the shoring.
Once the block has been raised far enough to clear the obstacle, the bridge is build up and under the block.
Rollers are now slid under the block, and shoring removed so that the block rests on the rollers, which lie on the bridging.
The block is then rolled across the bridge, over the obstacles…
…until it has cleared the second telephone pole. The block is then raised, and the bridging and rollers are removed, replaced with shoring.
The shoring is then "built down" in reverse of how the block was raised earlier, one side at a time. A 4" x 4" is replaced with a 2" x 4", first on one side, then the other, then the 2" x 4"s are removed, then the process starts again for the next layer. During all of this, the team is careful that at no point does any body part go underneath the block.
As the block approaches the ground, rollers are placed under it, and it is rolled back to where it originally started from.
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