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Resolution: R-10-0045
File Number: 10-00162
City Hall
3500 Pan American
Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
Final Action Date: 2/11/2010
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION URGING THE UNITED
STATES AGENCY OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ("USAID") TO
RECOGNIZE THE CITY OF MIAMI DEPARTMENT OF FIRE RESCUE'S URBAN
SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM, FLORIDA TASK FORCE 2, AS AN ACTIVE
SEARCH AND RESCUE TASK FORCE WITHIN USAID'S OFFICE OF UNITED
STATES FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE; DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO
TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE OFFICIALS DESIGNATED
HEREIN; DIRECTING THE CITY OF MIAMI'S FEDERAL LOBBYISTS TO
ADVOCATE FOR THE ACTION STATED HEREIN AND TO INCLUDE THIS
REQUEST AS PART OF THE 2010 FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE.
WHEREAS, on January 12, 2010, a devastating earthquake hit the island of Haiti,
approximately ten 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, have been affected by the earthquake; and
WHEREAS, the City of Miami Department of Fire -Rescue's Urban Search and Rescue Team,
Florida Task Force 2 ("USAR Team") was deployed to Haiti and conducted successful search and
rescue operations; and
WHEREAS, the USAR Team is capable of conducting the following type of operations:
conducting physical search and rescue operations in damaged/collapsed structures, flooded areas,
and transportation accident scenes; providing emergency medical care at disaster sites for trapped
victims; carrying out reconnaissance duties to assess damage and determine needs in order to
provide feedback to all agencies involved; providing disaster communication support using state of
the art satellite systems; conducting hazardous materials surveys/evaluations of affected areas; and
assisting in stabilizing damaged structures, including sorting and cribbing operations; and
WHEREAS, the USAR Team is self -supported for immediate mission response using an
equipment cache totaling 77,000 pounds that includes: rations for 14 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 responded to the following local and national disasters with
search and rescue operations: the New York World Trade Center on September 11, 2001; hurricanes
Andrew in Miami in 1992, Frances, Charley, Ivan, and Jeanne in Florida in 2004, and Katrina in
Mississippi and New Orleans, in 2005; the Nicaraguan tidal wave disaster in 1992; the Puerto Rico
school collapse; and with other flooding and weather disasters, building explosions, and airplane
City of Miand Page 1 of 2 File Id: 10-00162 (Version: 1) Printed On: 7/17/2017
File Number: 10-00162 Enactment Number: R-10-0045
crashes; and
WHEREAS, in order to be able to be deployed with greater rapidity to future disasters, the
USAR Team needs to be recognized as an active search and rescue task force with the United States
Agency for International Development's ("USAID") Office of United States Foreign Disaster Assistance
("OFDA");
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI
FLORIDA:
Section 1. The Miami City Commission urges USAID to recognize the City of Miami
Department Fire Rescue's USAR Team, as an active search and rescue task force within USAID's
OFDA.
Section 2. The City Clerk is directed to transmit a certified copy of this Resolution to the
members of the Miami -Dade County Congressional Delegation and the USAID's OFDA.
Section 3. The City Commission directs its federal lobbyists to advocate for the action stated
herein and to include this request as part of the 2010 Federal Legislative Package.
Section 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption and signature
of the Mayor.{1 }
Footnotes:
{1} If the Mayor does not sign this Resolution, it shall become effective at the
end of ten calendar days from the date it was passed and adopted. If the
Mayor vetoes this Resolution, it shall become effective immediately upon
override of the veto by the City Commission.
City of Miami Page 2 of 2 File Id. 10-00162 (Version: 1) Printed On: 7/17/2017