What is the State Urban Search & Rescue Alliance?
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.
History
SUSAR started informally with discussion between the task force leaders of several states, including South Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Illinois. They decided that state level 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 adopted in August 2006 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.