Volunteers Searching N.J. Parking Structure Collapse
WAYNE PARRY, The Associated Press
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- A special team of volunteers trained in search and rescue techniques was charged with looking for survivors and victims of Thursday’s parking deck collapse.
The unit, called Task Force One, was formed in 1997 under the state police emergency management office, and most recently worked at the World Trade Center site after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
“There’s nobody that has the expertise these guys have,” said State Police Lt. Al Della Fave. He said an unknown number of team members were already working their way through the rubble of the collapse site looking for victims and survivors. There was no immediate word on whether anyone had been found by the task force, Della Fave said.
“The first thing they do is an analysis of the structure and how stable and safe it is, whether there’s any pockets where someone could survive,” Della Fave said. “Once they do that, they go in with dogs, cameras and listening devices. They’re doing that right now.”
At the World Trade Center site, the unit toiled with others for 11 days, conducting continuous search and rescue operations in the trade center PATH station and tunnel. They recovered or helped recover 25 victims, including five New York City firefighters killed in the collapse.
The unit also secured a 70-ton I-beam which was embedded in the side of the American Express building 20 stories above ground level.
Based at the Naval Air Station in Lakehurst, the task force consists of 178 volunteers from the public and private sectors, including members from about 100 fire, police, and emergency management agencies from all 21 counties in New Jersey.
It has over 60,000 pounds of equipment in three tractor-trailers and other support vehicles.