The FEMA Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Medical Team Specialist Course (FEMA 9P3131) officially launched today, November 5, 2025, at the Bureau of Fire Standards and Training’s Florida State Fire College, home to the FLUSAR Facility in Ocala. The 37-acre Fire-Rescue-Technical training complex provides a realistic and integrated environment designed to prepare responders for the toughest conditions they’ll face in the field.
This course is being offered as one of several pre-conference medical courses leading up to the National Urban Search and Rescue (NUSAR) Conference. Through a close, integral partnership with the State Urban Search and Rescue Alliance (SUSAR), and our partners are offering a variety of courses that span all disciplines within disaster response. The majority of the courses hosted this week are required by FEMA and other specialized agencies to meet certification standards across each specialty.
The Medical Team Specialist (MTS) Course is an intensive program tailored for physicians and paramedics. It equips participants with the advanced medical knowledge, technical skills, and decision-making abilities needed to deliver critical care in disaster settings such as structural collapses, natural catastrophes, or terrorist incidents. The training emphasizes assessment and treatment of trauma in confined spaces and other austere environments—scenarios that demand both precision and adaptability.
This course fulfills the initial training requirements for US&R Task Force Medical Specialists and Medical Team Managers. Throughout the week, participants will put their learning into action during multiple hands-on exercises, testing their ability to apply medical and technical skills under realistic and high-pressure conditions.
The training culminates with a challenging Capstone Night Field Exercise, where responders must operate in confined-space training props that simulate the chaotic, unpredictable environments often encountered in real-world disasters.
Representatives from Urban Search and Rescue Teams across the nation are participating, including:
- Texas Task Forces 1 and 2
- Ohio Task Force 1
- Florida Task Force 4
- Louisiana Task Force 4
- Minnesota Task Force 1
- North Carolina Task Force 8
- Western Wayne County, MI USAR
- Suffolk County, NY USAR
- Detroit USAR
- Delaware USAR
Academic and medical representatives such as the University at Buffalo, the University of Chicago EMS Fellowship, and Wakulla Technical Rescue Team are also contributing their expertise and perspective to the course.
As training continues through November 8, participants are gaining not only advanced medical and rescue skills, but also the teamwork, confidence, and readiness that define FEMA’s national Urban Search and Rescue system.
We are honored to take the lead in advancing training that focuses on integrating medicine into unconventional environments. With MSOC at NUSAR, we aim to help unify all levels of disaster response personnel—not only with others in the field, but also with the manufacturers, suppliers, and sponsors who stand beside us. Their continued support helps our members strengthen their capabilities and make a lasting impact in the field of disaster response.