MOUNT VERNON — Before 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, the possibility of a large-scale disaster was not something many people considered, but preparedness for just such an event was already on the minds of the Ohio first responders who make up the Central Ohio Strike Team. COST is a specialized group of firefighting professionals from fire departments across Franklin County that serves 14 counties including Knox.
“I think we were somewhat in the process before 9/11,” said Upper Arlington Fire Chief Mitch Ross, who serves as chairman of the advisory committee for COST.
Ross said that after 9/11, the increased availability of homeland security funding made COST possible. He said the group received its first round of funding in 2002.
Of the eight homeland security regions in Ohio, four, including the central region, now have deployable urban search and rescue teams which respond in the event of natural or manmade disasters such as structural collapses, explosions, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, technological accidents and hazardous materials releases.
COST, which serves Crawford, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Hardin, Knox, Licking, Logan, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Pickaway, Union and Wyandot counties, has been deployable since 2005, according to Technical Search Coordinator Craig Mignogno, a Columbus firefighter. Mignogno said the team is made up of around 200 fire personnel from 13 departments across Franklin County. The team members all come from Franklin County because sending the team from a central location means a shorter response time.
The COST vehicles carry construction and demolition equipment — such as hydraulic hammers, drills and saws that can cut through wood, concrete and metal — which could be used for rescue in a building collapse. They also carry specialized search equipment such as cameras that can be lowered into small spaces to look for victims, and listening equipment to detect sounds made by victims trapped under debris.
The team also carries special confined-space breathing apparatus used by firefighters during search and rescue. Hoses supplying air run between the searchers and the truck, instead of from air tanks that firefighters usually carry on their back.
COST has yet to be deployed for an actual large-scale emergency, but the team trains every other month. Mignogno said when strip malls or buildings are slated for demolition, the team tries to take advantage of the training opportunity by first bringing in a back hoe, then practicing shoring up walls and floors in a partially collapsed structure. The team also practices search and rescue procedures in confined spaces.
Ross said that in a normal deployment, 30 firefighters would be sent to an incident. This includes three rescue teams with five members and one leader on each team, and a search team of five members and a team leader. Other COST positions at an incident include an EMS coordinator, two logistic people who take care of equipment, an overall team leader, a safety officer and a liaison, who coordinates between the team and local emergency departments.
Ross and Mignogno said the local incident commander from the fire department that requests assistance remains in charge, even after the state team arrives.
“We’re just another resource to a local jurisdiction,” Ross said. “We’re there to support [the local fire chief’s] operation, and tell him what his capabilities are.”
COST personnel provide mutual aid in a larger emergency.
FEMA also has an Urban Search and Rescue team based in Dayton, according to Ross, and several of the COST members also serve on the FEMA team. Ross said the COST personnel “fill gaps and take care of things locally” in the event of an emergency.
Funding for COST was originally provided by federal and state homeland security money. While the Central Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association oversees spending as the sponsoring agency, Ross said ongoing funding for COST is still being worked out.
“Each of the regional teams has to work out a lot of the funding for themselves,” Ross said.
Mignogno said vehicle insurance and maintenance, as well as expendable supplies the team uses for training, are mostly underwritten by participating fire departments. The hope is that sustainment costs will soon be covered on a state and county level.
Earlier this month, Mignogno gave a presentation to Knox County fire chiefs about the resources and technical assistance that COST can provide if needed.
“We are an asset, we are a tool,” he told the chiefs. “We are at your beck and call, just like any other ladder or company should you need us.
“We’re available for technical rescue, rope and confined space rescue, not just structural collapse. We can send people to help you out, or provide technical advice,” Mignogno said. “We’re gonna work with you. Please don’t hesitate to call us.”
