VA-TF1/USA-1 Urban Search & Rescue (FEMA)

What VA-TF1/USA-1 Urban Search & Rescue (FEMA) does

Virginia Task Force 1 (VA-TF1), federally designated USA-1, is a government Urban Search and Rescue task force established in 1986 and sponsored by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. The task force is rostered by approximately 200 specially trained personnel, including structural engineers, physicians, paramedics, hazardous materials specialists, canine handlers, communications experts, and collapse rescue technicians. It is one of only 28 FEMA-designated US&R Task Forces nationwide, qualified for Type I (Heavy) and Type III (Medium) deployments, and maintains 24/7 operational readiness from its headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia. The task force maintains partnerships with the Department of Homeland Security/FEMA for domestic response and the U.S. Department of State for international humanitarian missions, operating under INSARAG guidelines abroad.

VA-TF1's service portfolio includes Domestic and International US&R (Type I and Type III), Incident Support Team (IST), Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), Americas Support Team (AST), and Mobile Reconnaissance Packages for water and structures. Its operational history spans more than 100 domestic deployments and 40+ international missions across 25+ countries, including responses to the September 11 Pentagon attack, Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti and Nepal earthquakes, the Surfside building collapse, and the most recent Hurricane Melissa response in Jamaica (October 2025). Active deployments during 2024-2025 also include Hurricane Helene (multi-state, September-October 2024), Hurricane Debby, Hurricane Beryl IST activation, Midwest Storms in Kentucky, and floods in Kerr County, Texas.

The entity operates as a government public safety organization rather than a commercial business. Funding flows through Fairfax County government budgets, FEMA/DHS cooperative agreements for domestic operations, and U.S. Department of State authorizations for international missions; services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. There is no traditional pricing model, sales motion, or marketing function; activation occurs exclusively through federal channels (FEMA for domestic, State Department for international). The primary distribution mechanism is federal deployment authorization, supported by social media and an informational website for community outreach.

Name

VA-TF1/USA-1 Urban Search & Rescue (FEMA)

Legal name

Virginia Task Force 1 - International Urban Search and Rescue

Website

https://vatf1.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Virginia Task Force 1 is a federally designated FEMA Urban Search and Rescue task force under the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, deploying approximately 200 specialized personnel for domestic and international disaster response.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Response and Disaster Management Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Fire Protection (92216)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination (HLAJAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Management & Disaster Response (EOC, Civil Defense) (BPAIAGAE), Disaster Response & Search and Rescue (SAR) (BPADADAA)

Keywords

• Urban search and rescue
• Disaster response services
• Emergency rescue operations
• FEMA task force
• Collapse rescue

Headquarters

HQ city

Chantilly

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Task force operations are funded through Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department sponsorship, with additional funding and deployment authorization from the Department of Homeland Security/FEMA for domestic operations and the United States Department of State for international missions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Virginia Task Force 1 delivers federalized urban search and rescue (US&R) response services for structural collapses, natural disasters, and humanitarian emergencies. The task force deploys Type I (Heavy), Type III (Medium), and light US&R teams, Incident Support Teams (IST), Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DART), and Americas Support Teams (AST) domestically and internationally, staffed by approximately 200 specially trained fire and rescue personnel. Services are provided at no charge as a publicly funded government emergency response resource.

Product overview

Virginia Task Force 1 is a government emergency response organization, not a product company. It operates as a single unified service providing domestic and international urban search and rescue capabilities. The organization offers multiple specialized response services including Type I and Type III US&R teams, Incident Support Teams (IST), Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DART), and Americas Support Teams (AST). Staffed by approximately 200 fire and rescue personnel from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, the task force provides specialized capabilities in structural engineering, heavy rigging, collapse rescue, hazardous materials, communications, canine search, and technical search operations. The organization responds to hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, building collapses, and other catastrophic events domestically under FEMA partnership and internationally under the US Department of State.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Domestic Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Services Provides Type I (Heavy) and Type III (Medium) urban search and rescue response capabilities for natural and man-made disasters within the United States, including hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, building collapses, and national security events. Activated and deployed by FEMA/DHS.
• International Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Services Deploys internationally for earthquake, hurricane, and disaster response missions under INSARAG guidelines, providing heavy, medium, and rapid assessment US&R capabilities. Authorized and coordinated by the U.S. Department of State.
• Incident Support Team (IST) Services Provides incident support team capabilities for disaster response coordination, situational awareness, and technical support during domestic emergencies such as hurricanes, wildfires, and other large-scale events.
• Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) Services Provides DART capabilities for international disaster response, including base camp operations, assessment coordination, and humanitarian assistance missions.
• Americas Support Team (AST) Services Provides regional Americas Support Team capabilities for disaster response coordination across North, Central, and South American regions.
• Specialized Rescue Capabilities Offers technical search, collapse rescue, heavy rigging, hazardous materials response, water rescue, logistics, communications, and canine search capabilities staffed by approximately 200 specially trained fire and rescue personnel.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Fairfax County Fire and Rescue DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary sponsoring organization that provides rostered personnel, equipment, facilities, and operational support. Virginia Task Force 1 is fully integrated as part of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.
• Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary federal partner for domestic emergency response. Virginia Task Force 1 is one of 28 FEMA US&R Task Forces designated as USA-1, authorized and funded for federal deployment during domestic disasters and national emergencies.
• United States Department of StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary federal partner for international disaster response missions. The Department of State authorizes and coordinates international deployments for humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations abroad.
• International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal UN-hosted network of national US&R teams that coordinates international disaster response standards, methodologies, and deployment procedures. Virginia Task Force 1 operates under INSARAG guidelines for international operations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Colorado Task Force 1 (CO-TF1): Sponsored by the West Metro Fire Protection District, CO-TF1 is a FEMA US&R task force with the same Type I/Type III deployment typing, multi-disciplinary roster, and INSARAG international mission profile.
• Tennessee Task Force 1 (TN-TF1): Sponsored by the Nashville Fire Department, TN-TF1 is a FEMA US&R task force with the same federal designation, multi-disciplinary personnel model, and dual domestic/international mission scope as VA-TF1.
• California Task Force 1 (CA-TF1): One of the original FEMA US&R task forces, sponsored by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. CA-TF1 operates the same Type I urban search and rescue capability under identical federal standards as VA-TF1, making it the closest direct peer.
• Florida Task Force 1 (FL-TF1): Sponsored by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, FL-TF1 is a FEMA US&R task force with comparable heavy, medium, and specialized US&R capabilities. Frequent hurricane deployments make it a direct operational peer to VA-TF1.
• Massachusetts Task Force 1 (MA-TF1): One of the 28 FEMA US&R task forces, MA-TF1 is sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services and operates with the same federal capability typing and INSARAG-aligned international mission readiness.
• Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1): Sponsored by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), TX-TF1 is one of the largest and most-deployed FEMA US&R task forces. It mirrors VA-TF1's multi-disciplinary structure and serves both domestic and international missions.
• Ohio Task Force 1 (OH-TF1): Sponsored by the Columbus Division of Fire, OH-TF1 is a FEMA US&R task force with comparable heavy and medium US&R capabilities and operates under the same federal sponsorship and deployment framework.
• Pennsylvania Task Force 1 (PA-TF1): Sponsored by the Philadelphia Fire Department, PA-TF1 is a FEMA US&R task force with matching federal capability typing and the same multi-disciplinary roster model (engineers, paramedics, canine, technical search).
• Washington Task Force 1 (WA-TF1): Sponsored by the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management, WA-TF1 is a FEMA US&R task force with parallel collapse rescue, heavy rigging, and canine search capabilities under the same federal program.
• New York Task Force 1 (NY-TF1): Sponsored by the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), NY-TF1 is a FEMA US&R task force with similar Type I capabilities and was a primary responder on 9/11. Operates under the same federal designation and mission profile as VA-TF1.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VATF1
• Facebookfacebook.com/vatf1
• Instagraminstagram.com/VATF1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vatf1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about VA-TF1/USA-1 Urban Search & Rescue (FEMA)