Tennessee Task Force One (TNTF-1) / DHS / FEMA Urban Search and Rescue

What Tennessee Task Force One (TNTF-1) / DHS / FEMA Urban Search and Rescue does

Tennessee Task Force One (TN-TF1) is a federally sponsored Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) task force, one of 28 elite teams in the national FEMA/DHS US&R Response System, officially incorporated on June 30, 1992. Sponsored by the Memphis Fire Department and headquartered at 4381 Academy Drive in Memphis, Tennessee, the team can deploy up to 80 highly trained members within four hours of federal activation to major incidents anywhere in the United States. Its capabilities span canine search teams, technical search operations, structural assessment, medical support, hazardous materials response, heavy equipment and rigging, and communications systems management, operating across land, water, urban, and wilderness environments.

TN-TF1 does not operate as a commercial enterprise. Its funding flows from FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security as federal appropriations, with the City of Memphis providing administrative staffing, training infrastructure, warehouse facilities, and logistical coordination as the sponsoring agency. The team is composed of Memphis Fire Department personnel, professionals from more than a dozen participating fire departments across West Tennessee (including Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Hendersonville, Jackson, Millington, and Shelby County), and civilian-sector specialists such as physicians, paramedics, structural engineers, and hazmat experts. The USAR Foundation, a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit, supplements K9 search and rescue training, certification, and deployment.

The team's mission is activated only under federal disaster declaration or when state/local authorities request assistance beyond their capabilities; it does not respond to individual emergency calls. Its deployment history includes the Pentagon attack on September 11, 2001, the 2002 Winter Olympics, the Columbia Shuttle disaster, Hurricane Katrina, the Moore, Oklahoma tornado, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Helene, and the July 2025 Texas floods. Equipped with millions of dollars in specialized rescue technology and operating within a tightly defined federal/local public-safety framework, TN-TF1 functions as a public-safety service rather than a revenue-generating entity.

Name

Tennessee Task Force One (TNTF-1) / DHS / FEMA Urban Search and Rescue

Legal name

Tennessee Task Force One (TN-TF1)

Website

https://tntf1.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tennessee Task Force One (TN-TF1) is one of 28 FEMA/DHS-funded Urban Search and Rescue teams, sponsored by the Memphis Fire Department. It deploys up to 80 specialists within four hours to major disasters nationwide, supported by federal appropriations and City of Memphis logistics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Search and Rescue Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Response Team (ERT) Staffing & Incident Management Support (BPABANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialized Law Enforcement Units (SWAT, K9, Bomb Squad, Tactical) (BPAIAGAH), Disaster Medical Assistance & Field Care (DMAT/Field Hospitals) (HLAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Urban search rescue
• Emergency response services
• Disaster response operations
• Canine search rescue
• Fema task force

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Funding: Established and funded by FEMA and Department of Homeland Security as one of 28 elite Urban Search and Rescue teams in the national system
2. Local Government Support: City of Memphis provides administrative staffing, training infrastructure, warehouse facilities, and logistical coordination as the sponsoring agency

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Tennessee Task Force One (TN-TF1) is one of 28 elite Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) teams established and funded by FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. Sponsored by the Memphis Fire Department, the team deploys up to 80 highly trained specialists within four hours' notice to natural and man-made disasters including earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, terrorist attacks, and structural collapses. Capabilities span canine search, technical search, structural assessment, medical support, hazmat response, heavy equipment and rigging, and communications systems management.

Product overview

Tennessee Task Force One (TN-TF1) is a FEMA/DHS-sponsored Urban Search and Rescue team sponsored by the Memphis Fire Department. The organization operates as a single unified emergency response service offering multiple integrated capabilities including US&R search and rescue operations, canine search teams, technical search, structural assessment, medical support, hazardous materials response, heavy equipment operations, and communications management. The team comprises specialists in task force leadership, planning, safety, logistics, and rescue functions who can deploy as a coordinated 80-person unit within four hours to major incidents nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Services Core emergency response service providing search and rescue operations for natural and man-made disasters including earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, terrorist attacks, and structural collapses. The team can deploy up to 80 highly trained members within four hours notice anywhere in the United States under federal FEMA declaration.
• Canine Search and Rescue Specialized K9 search and rescue operations supported by the USAR Foundation. Trained canine and handler teams operate across land, water, urban, and wilderness environments to locate victims of disaster.
• Technical Search Operations Technical search specialists perform technical search functions during incident operations, utilizing specialized equipment and methods to locate trapped, missing, or injured victims in disaster zones.
• Structural Assessment Services Structures specialists perform structural assessments during incident operations to evaluate building stability and safety for rescue operations.
• Medical Support Services Medical team managers and specialists provide medical support functions during incident operations, including physicians, paramedics, and nurses who deploy with the task force.
• Hazardous Materials Response HazMat team managers and specialists manage hazardous materials functions and perform hazardous materials operations during incident responses involving chemical, biological, or radiological threats.
• Heavy Equipment and Rigging Operations Heavy equipment and rigging specialists perform structural assessments and construction-related liaison functions, operating specialized equipment for rescue operations.
• Communications Systems Management Communications specialists manage and maintain all communications and communications systems for the task force during training, exercises, and incident operations.

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Memphis Fire DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe sponsoring agency of TN-TF1. Provides critical administrative staffing, training infrastructure, warehouse facilities, and logistical coordination. The Memphis Fire Department has 1,800 members and serves as the lead department for the task force.
• City of MemphiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs the sponsoring agency for the Memphis Fire Department, the City of Memphis provides municipal support for TN-TF1 operations including administrative staffing, training infrastructure, warehouse facilities, and logistical coordination.
• FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished and funds TN-TF1 as one of 28 elite US&R teams. The team is activated and deployed through the FEMA US&R system under DHS authority.
• Department of Homeland SecuritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder and oversight authority for the national US&R system. TN-TF1 operates under DHS/FEMA authority for deployment and operations.
• USAR FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization that supports search and rescue through education, training, certification and deployment. Provides trained K9 and handler teams for victim search and rescue operations. Operates in land, water, urban and wilderness environments.
• Participating Fire DepartmentsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple fire departments provide personnel including: Arlington Fire Department, Atoka Fire Department, Bartlett Fire Department, Collierville Fire Department, Covington Fire Department, Germantown Fire Department, Hendersonville Fire Department, Jackson Fire Department, Lexington Fire Department, Milan Fire Department, Millington Fire Department, and Shelby County Fire Department.
• USAR Foundation K9 ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides trained K9 and handler teams for search and rescue of disaster victims. Supports TN-TF1 with canine search capabilities, training, certification, and deployment readiness. Recruits dogs from shelters and breed rescues, provides ongoing care and training for team K9s.
• Tennessee Emergency Management AgencymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level emergency management agency partner listed in official links for coordination of emergency response resources.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• New York Task Force 1 (NY-TF1): Another FEMA US&R task force, originally created in response to the 1993 WTC bombing. Operates under the same FEMA US&R federal designation, deployment protocol, and multi-disciplinary team model as TN-TF1.
• Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1): One of the 28 FEMA US&R task forces, sponsored by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). Directly comparable in mission, federal funding model, deployment mechanics, and capability set to Tennessee Task Force 1.
• Florida Urban Search and Rescue (FL-TF1 / FL-TF2): Florida's FEMA US&R task forces, frequently activated for hurricane response. Same FEMA funding structure and deployment model as TN-TF1, with overlapping operational focus on hurricane and flood scenarios.
• California Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces (CA-TF1 through CA-TF8): Network of FEMA US&R task forces based in California. Operate under identical federal framework as TN-TF1, with earthquake and wildfire specialization that parallels TN-TF1's multi-hazard scope.

Others

• American Red Cross: Major non-profit disaster relief organization that frequently partners with FEMA US&R teams during major activations. Provides shelter, feeding, and family reunification services complementary to TN-TF1's search and rescue mission.
• Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services: Non-profit that provides disaster relief services including feeding, shelter, and emotional/spiritual care to first responders and survivors. Functions alongside FEMA US&R teams during major activations.
• USAR Foundation: 501(c)(3) non-profit that supports TN-TF1's K9 program through training, certification, and deployment of canine teams. Adjacent support organization rather than a competing operator.

Broad incumbents

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): FEMA is the federal parent/funder of the entire US&R system and all 28 task forces including TN-TF1. Sets operational standards, funds equipment and training, and issues the federal declarations that activate teams.

Regional players

• Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) — NDMS: Federal medical-focused deployable teams under HHS/NDMS. Operate alongside FEMA US&R during major activations but specialize in field medical care rather than search and rescue extraction.

Emerging players

• National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF): National non-profit that recruits and trains disaster search dogs for FEMA task forces. Partially overlapping mission with the USAR Foundation's K9 program supporting TN-TF1.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TNTF1USAR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tennessee-task-force-one-tntf-1-dhs-fema-urban-search-and-rescue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tennessee Task Force One (TNTF-1) / DHS / FEMA Urban Search and Rescue