There are currently nine federal Urban Search and Rescue Teams deployed to impacted states that have helped support hundreds of rescues.

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We were sitting, ready to activate our urban search and rescue teams.

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FEMA's deployed more than 25 urban search and rescue teams with more than 1, 000 personnel to help save as many lives as possible.

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Federal officials have also deployed an urban search and rescue team to Louisiana, and additional support teams are ready to deploy as needed and requested.

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The department's Urban Search and Rescue unit who extricated the woman train for situations such as building collapses and none of the tactics used Wednesday were improvised, Simmons said.

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Urban search and rescue is a relatively recent creation.

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The UK Rescue Challenge was held in London last year, where the Royal Berkshire Rescue Team won the car rescue title - with the hosts winning the urban search and rescue challenge.

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As of this morning, FEMA has more than 400 personnel already on the ground supporting the response, including three national Urban Search and Rescue Teams, an Incident Management Assistance Team, as well as personnel focused on helping survivors register for and receive the federal assistance made available by the major disaster declaration signed by the President on Monday night.

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Stu Willig of Florida Task Force 2, one of eight urban search-and-rescue teams on the scene from across the country.

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