Tornadoes, floods, confined spaces, and emergencies involving hazardous materials present unique circumstances for paramedics and other first responders. Proper training and equipment are imperative in these incidents that occur infrequently but are among the highest acuity of calls to which SCCAD responds.
To ensure that we can deliver exceptional patient care amid these challenging environments, 14 SCCAD paramedics are specially trained as Disaster Medical Specialists and are members of the St. Louis Metro Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) Task Force 1 – a team comprised of paramedics, firefighters, and other first responders from St. Charles County – that joins with four other regional task forces (five total) to comprise the St. Louis Metro US&R System.
Members of the team are credentialed in numerous special rescue techniques and train regularly on providing care in non-controlled environments. Certifications held by team members include:
- Confined space rescue
- Hazmat technician
- High angle rescue
- Rope rescue
- Structure collapse
- Swift water rescue
- Trench rescue
- Disaster Medical Specialist
To apply for SCCAD’s US&R team, paramedics must be employed by the District for a minimum of two years and are selected by a competitive application/testing process.