Rescue workers working at a collapsed building, removing a heavy concrete slap with rescue tools and debris in the foreground and a blue sky with clouds in the background.

What is the State Urban Search & Rescue Alliance?

The State Urban Search and Rescue Alliance (SUSAR) was formed in 2005 with the meeting in Columbia, South Carolina.  The dream of the first organizers was to develop a mechanism to share ideas and to learn from each other. That goal is still alive today. SUSAR exists to provide a support system to the Urban Search and Rescue community.

The SUSAR Alliance currently represents organizations and individuals that are part of the US&R community regardless if they serve as a resource for their local, regional, tribal, state, or nation.  The focus of the SUSAR Alliance is about the capability to provide all hazards, search and rescue resources for the purpose of saving lives in communities that are impacted by natural and man-made disasters. 

The SUSAR Alliance aims to enhance the capabilities of resources, regardless of size or agency affiliation. The organization strives to promote knowledge sharing to continuously improve response capabilities. The Alliance also explores ways to collaborate and respond more efficiently across the community at large. SUSAR is committed to supporting preparedness and operational response standards that push the boundaries of capability with efficiency in mind. It also aims to educate and support the development of new resources and capabilities within communities for disaster search and rescue operations. The organization seeks to establish partnerships with all stakeholders, including military and civil preparedness partners, manufacturers, and vendors who support and enhance the performance capability of US&R resources.

Our Mission

Support and conduct research, education, and informational activities to benefit the communities served by US&R teams; to provide teams a voice in the US&R community; to stimulate the exchange of information among persons and organizations engaged in US&R operations and to disseminate such information; and to support and share standards for participants and teams engaged in US&R operations.

History

SUSAR started informally with discussion between the task force leaders of several states in the United States, including South Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Illinois. They decided that US&R teams would benefit from a more formal exchange of ideas. The first meeting was in South Carolina in July 2005, and 18 states were represented, as well as Puerto Rico. By the second meeting the group had grown to 26 states. The State Urban Search and Rescue Alliance was formally established in the August 2006 meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Message from the Board 

Believing the State Urban Search and Rescue Alliance is the future for US&R program support and development, this Board’s goals for the SUSAR Alliance are to carry out the Mission and Vision of the organization to support sustainable US&R resources in local, regional, tribal, state, national, and international organizations. Furthermore to develop partnerships and standards that will enable more effective and efficient response to disasters. We plan to grow the organization to represent the needs and interests of all US&R Task Forces and members.