1. Texas ESF-9 Bastrop Fire Complex Search Response September 7, 2011 to September 12, 2011
Chuck Jones
Task Force Leader, TX-TF1
Susann Brown
Search Team Manager, TX-TF1

2. Mission Overview
To assist the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Department, and Emergency Manager in the search for possible missing persons and property damage assessment, by conducting a wide area search through the affected area(s).
The fire, which began on September 4, 2011 would consume more than 34,000 acres, destroy more than 2500 structures and claim two lives.

3. Unique Deployment Traditional Mission Bastrop Fire Complex
Post incident response
Urban areas
Search to rescue
Collapse structures
Fire still ongoing
Forested rural area
Search for HR
Damage assessment
Locate missing pets/ injured animals
Report active burning

4. Timeline
09/06/11- SOC request for TX-TF1 to send representatives to Bastrop EOC for planning meeting with Bastrop S.O. and EM.
09/07/11- TX-TF1 deployed to Bastrop to assist SO with HR search. Base of Operations setup at Camp Swift by 1230 hours. Forward command post established at Hwy 71 and FM Search grids assigned and search begun in Wagon Wheel addition at 1330.
09/08/11- Search grids assigned or continued
09/09/11- Search grids assigned and final search completed in Wagon Wheel area.
09/10/11- Search moved to Tahitian Village area, forward command moved to Hwy 95 and Ponderosa Rd.
09/11/11- Search continued
09/12/11- Search completed at 1330

5. Conditions

6. Operations Wide Area Search strategy Co-located with response partners
On-site support of canine teams

7. Search area divided into segments

8. Squads and searched assigned segments. Documentation is critical.

9. Outcome 16,000 acres searched 24.4 square miles
1934 structures searched

10. Response Partners National Forestry Service
Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office
National Forestry Service

11. Response Partners
Animal Rescue
Veterinary Emergency Team

12. Community Support Groups

13. Specialty Canines Trained to locate human remains
Able to work in unnatural environment of disaster
Tested to certification standards

14. Canine Search Operations
6 HR canines
12 hour shifts
Covered 16,000 acres of area
Each canine team searched more than 300 structures
Medical support critical for completion of mission

15. Veterinary Support

16. Lessons Learned Evacuation List Unified Operations
Need for Local Area Knowledge
Medical Support for Canine Operations

17. Questions?