Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Services Training topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County says regional MUSAR fire training will continue with participating agencies and regional exercises
Summary
The Department of Public Safety described ongoing MUSAR (Metro Urban Search and Rescue) training funded through the Northern New Jersey Urban Area Security Initiative, with about 12 agencies in the region and exercises encompassing roughly 300 fire service members.
Director Burke of the Department of Public Safety told the Board that the county administers a grant portion of the Northern New Jersey Urban Area Security Initiative for emergency fire services and supports Metro Urban Search and Rescue (MUSAR) training.
Burke said MUSAR is a specialized fire-service task force that provides extraction and operations beyond routine firefighting; about 12 agencies in the region participate, and the Elizabeth Fire Department represents Union County in the MUSAR task force. The program includes annual exercises that broadly involve roughly 300 fire-service members from across the region.
Burke said the training has been ongoing for about 12 years and that the county administers the grant portion that helps fund the exercises and training allocations each year. Commissioner Mirabella asked for clarification about the training; Burke described MUSAR as the "equivalent of their fireside SWAT team" providing specialized extraction capabilities.
Ending: Director Burke said training will continue as funds are allocated for annual exercises and that regional cooperation allows agencies to deploy across jurisdictions during emergencies.
