Radio Direction Finding Team

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency

Resource: Radio Direction Finding Team
Category: Search and Rescue (ESF #9) Kind: Team
Minimum Capabilities (Component)	Minimum Capabilities (Metric)	Type I	Type II	Type III	Type IV	Other
Team	Personnel	Team leader and team members to support at least 2 operational field units (at least 1 team member must be a medical specialist EMT or higher); Management staff following ICS model tabmd.com	Team leader and team members to support at least 2 operational field units; Management staff following ICS model	Team leader; Team member(s)	Team
	Crew Availability	Available for more than 1 full day of operations	Available for more than 1 full day of operations	Available for at least 1 full day of operations
	Training	Must be able to operate the teams equipment; Team is expected to be able to triangulate a distress beacon to its source; Team members must be experienced in coordinating with other search teams and aircrews; Team members must have training for operations in remote locations for extended periods; One member of each team must have advanced medical training to the EMT level	Must be able to operate the teams equipment; Team is expected to be able to triangulate a distress beacon to its source; Team members must be experienced in coordinating with other search teams; Team members must have training for operations in limited remote locations for extended periods	Must be able to operate the teams equipment; Team is expected to be able to triangulate a distress beacon to its source in moderate terrain; Team members are not expected to operate in remote field locations for extended periods
	Transportation	4x4 vehicles that can transport each team throughout the search area	Vehicles that can transport each team throughout the search area; 4x4s are not required, but recommended	1 vehicle that can transport the team throughout the search area; 4x4s are not required, but recommended
Equipment	Clothing	Appropriate level of PPE for working environment	Appropriate level of PPE for working environment	Appropriate level of PPE for working environment	Equipment
	Communications	VHF Radios; Cell Phone	VHF Radios; Cell Phone	Cell Phone
	Electronic	At least one Handheld Portable Electronic Direction Finder per team	At least one Handheld Portable Electronic Direction Finder per team	At least one Handheld Portable Electronic Direction Finder
	Rescue	Equipment to support remote extrication and field transport of aircraft crash survivors	None required	None required
Management Support	Overhead Incident Management	Incident staff capable of managing electronic direction-finding operations	Incident staff capable of managing electronic direction-finding operations	Unit level mission release; No search management capabilities	Management support

Comments:

Team members will usually only work a maximum of 12-hour shifts, depending on individual unit policies and procedures. Crew availability does not require continuous availability of specific personnel, only that crews are available to those specifications. Medical support and technical rescue equipment is expected to be provided by local EMS for Type II and III teams.


National Mutual Aid & Resource Management Initiative	Search and Rescue