2023 New York Laws › EXC - Executive › Article 6-C - Office of Fire Prevention and Control › 156-G - Establishment of Teams for Urban Search and Rescue, Specialty Rescue and Incident Support.

§ 156-g. Establishment of teams for urban search and rescue, specialty
rescue  and incident support. 1. Authorization to establish urban search
and rescue task  force  teams,  specialty  rescue  teams,  and  incident
support teams. The commissioner of the division of homeland security and
emergency  services after consultation with the state fire administrator
shall have the authority to establish,  organize,  administer,  support,
train,  and  fund  urban  search  and rescue task force teams, specialty
rescue teams, and  incident  support  teams  created  pursuant  to  this
section.
2.  Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms
shall have the following meanings:
(a) "urban search and rescue task force team" shall mean a specialized
team or group of teams, formed pursuant to this section, organized  with
capabilities  equivalent  to  urban  search  and rescue task force teams
established under the federal emergency management agency  in  order  to
assist  in  the  removal  of  trapped  victims  in  emergency situations
including, but not limited to, collapsed structures, trench excavations,
elevated locations, and other technical rescue situations.
(b) "specialty rescue team" shall  mean  a  specialized  team,  formed
pursuant   to  this  section,  organized  to  provide  technical  rescue
assistance to first responders including, but  not  limited  to,  canine
search  and  rescue/disaster  response, cave search and rescue, collapse
search and  rescue,  mine  and  tunnel  search  and  rescue,  and  swift
water/flood  search  and  rescue teams. Such teams shall be aligned with
one or more of the search  and  rescue  categories  within  the  federal
emergency management agency's national resource typing system.
(c)  "incident  support  team"  shall  mean a team of trained response
personnel,  formed  pursuant  to  this  section,  organized  to  provide
coordination    with    governmental   agencies   and   non-governmental
organizations as well as technical,  and  logistical  support  to  urban
search and rescue task force teams and specialty rescue teams.
3.  Appointment  and  training  of  team  members;  equipment. (a) The
commissioner of the division of homeland security and emergency services
is hereby authorized to appoint members to any team created pursuant  to
this  section. Team membership shall consist of local emergency response
personnel, state agency personnel and specialty personnel as required.
(b)  The  commissioner  of  the  division  of  homeland  security  and
emergency  services  shall be responsible for training and equipping the
teams established pursuant to this section and for training  such  other
teams  located  within  the  state  for  response to man-made or natural
disasters to the extent appropriations are provided. The commissioner of
the division of homeland security and emergency services  shall  support
the  capabilities of each team established pursuant to this section with
the  necessary  training  and  equipment  to  ensure  mobilization   and
deployment for rapid response to emergencies and disasters to the extent
appropriations are provided.
4.  Accreditation  of  teams.  The  commissioner  of  the  division of
homeland security and emergency services shall  have  the  authority  to
establish  an  accreditation  program  to  review  and  evaluate new and
existing local and regional technical rescue capabilities,  and  provide
recommendations  for  capability  enhancement  in  accordance  with  the
national incident management system, the  national  response  plan,  and
nationally recognized standards.
5.  Defense,  indemnification  and insurance coverage of team members.
Members of the teams formed pursuant to this section who  are  volunteer
firefighters, volunteer ambulance workers, municipal or state employees,
or  employees of a non-governmental entity shall be provided coverage by
their  respective  municipalities,  organizations,  and   entities   for

purposes  of  sections seventeen and eighteen of the public officers law
and/or  other  defense  and  indemnification   coverage   and   workers'
compensation  coverage pursuant to applicable provisions of the workers'
compensation  law  or  benefits pursuant to applicable provisions of the
volunteer firefighters' benefit law or the volunteer ambulance  workers'
benefit  law.  Individuals  appointed to an urban search and rescue task
force team, a specialty rescue team or an  incident  support  team,  for
which  such  coverage  is not available, shall be deemed volunteer state
employees for purposes of section seventeen of the public  officers  law
and section three of the workers' compensation law.
6. Rules and regulations. The commissioner of the division of homeland
security  and  emergency services after consultation with the state fire
administrator  shall  have  the  authority  to  promulgate   rules   and
regulations  as  deemed necessary relating to the accreditation of urban
search and rescue task force teams, specialty rescue teams, and incident
support  teams  and  to  the  formation  and  operation  of  all   teams
established pursuant to this section.
7.  Funding.  The division of homeland security and emergency services
shall expend the necessary monies for  training,  equipment,  and  other
items  necessary  to  support  the operations of urban search and rescue
task force teams, specialty rescue  teams  and  incident  support  teams
within  appropriations  provided.  The division of homeland security and
emergency  services  also  may,  pursuant  to   applicable   rules   and
regulations  approved  by  the  director  of the division of the budget,
approve grants of funds from monies allocated and appropriated  for  any
or all such teams.