TITLE
RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES AGENCY OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) TO REINSTATE MIAMI-DADE FIRE RESCUE�S URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM, FLORIDA TASK FORCE-1 (USAR TEAM) AS AN ACTIVE SEARCH AND RESCUE TASK FORCE WITHIN USAID�S OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)

BODY
WHEREAS, on January 12, 2010 a devastating earthquake hit the island of Haiti, approximately 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince; and
WHEREAS, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, more than three million people - a third of Haiti�s population - has been affected by the earthquake; and
WHEREAS, the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department�s Urban Search and Rescue Team, Florida Task Force-1 (USAR Team), has in the past responded to local, national, and international disasters; and
WHEREAS, the USAR Team has been deployed and arrived today in Haiti to conduct search and rescue operations; and
WHEREAS, the USAR Team is capable of conducting the following type of operations: physical search and rescue operations in damaged/collapsed structures, flooded areas, and transportation accident scenes; provide emergency medical care at disaster sites for trapped victims; carry out reconnaissance duties to asses damage and determine needs in order to provide feedback to all agencies involved; provide disaster communication support using state-of-the-art satellite systems; conduct hazardous materials surveys/evaluations of affected areas; assist in stabilizing damaged structures, including shoring and cribbing operations; and
WHEREAS, the USAR Team is self-supported for immediate mission response using an equipment cache totaling 50,000 pounds that includes: rations for 10 days, housing and feeding capabilities of its members, acoustic fiber optic and video search equipment, electric, gasoline, hydraulic, mechanical and pneumatic tools for working on reinforced concrete structures, hazardous materials monitoring equipment, medical equipment to provide medical care, satellite, digital phone and radio equipment capable of providing local, regional and global communications of voice, data, and fax transmissions; and
WHEREAS, the USAR Team has been previously deployed to perform search and rescue operations after the following earthquakes: Mexico City 1985, El Salvador 1986, Armenia 1988, The Philippines 1990, Venezuela 1997, Colombia 1999, Turkey 1999, and Taiwan 1999; and
WHEREAS, the USAR Team has been previously deployed to perform search and rescue operations after the following hurricanes: Gilbert/Jamaica, Hugo/Easter Caribbean, Andrew/Miami, Luis/Caribbean, Marilyn/Caribbean, Opal/North Florida, Belize, Charley/ Charlotte County, Florida, and Katrina/New Orleans; and
WHEREAS, the USAR Team has performed search and rescue operations and provided various support in other flooding and weather disasters, building explosions, and airplane crashes; and
WHEREAS, in order to be able to be deployed faster in future disasters the USAR Team needs to be reinstated as an active search and rescue task force within the United States Agency for International Development�s (USAID) Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA),
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to reinstate the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department�s Urban Search and Rescue Team, Florida Task Force-1 as an active search and rescue task force within USAID�s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the members of the Miami-Dade County Congressional Delegation and the United States Agency for International Development�s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance.
Section 3. Directs the County's federal lobbyists to advocate for the action set forth above and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to include this item in the 2010 Federal Legislative Package.