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D.A.R.T.Direct Action Response Team, home

What we do

Built for disasters

D.A.R.T. deploys to disasters. We put trained first responders and disaster rescue technicians on the ground alongside local crews while larger relief systems are still mobilizing.

The disasters we deploy to

Where we help

Natural disasters

  • Floods
  • Wildfires
  • Earthquakes
  • Hurricanes and severe storms
  • Tornadoes

Man-made disasters

  • Terrorist attacks
  • Industrial accidents
  • Large-scale infrastructure failures

  • Evacuation

    Moving residents safely out of a threatened area, in coordination with the agencies on scene.

  • Disaster search

    Wide-area search of damaged neighborhoods, block by block, to find people who need help and get them to safety.

  • Disaster rescue

    Reaching people trapped or stranded in flooded, burned, collapsed or storm-damaged areas, in coordination with the agencies on scene.

  • Welfare checks

    Checking on specific residents that families or agencies are worried about, and getting them the help they need.

How teams are organized

Built on NIMS and ICS

Every D.A.R.T. team is organized to National Incident Management System (NIMS) standards and runs under the Incident Command System (ICS), the same structure every agency on scene uses.

Members hold FEMA's NIMS position titles, so a partner agency knows what each person is qualified to do, and teams from different regions can work side by side at the same disaster. Leadership on a deployment follows ICS Command and General Staff roles.

D.A.R.T. field uniforms for a team leader, rescue technicians, a medic and an operations director.
The D.A.R.T. field uniform
NIMS positionWhat they do
Land SAR Strike Team/Task Force LeaderLeads several teams on one assignment
Land SAR Team LeaderLeads a single team in the field
Land SAR TechnicianReaches and rescues people
Swiftwater/Flood SAR Team LeaderLeads a flood rescue team
Swiftwater/Flood SAR TechnicianRescues people from floodwater
Medical Search and/or Rescue TechnicianMedical care for the team and survivors
Canine Search Specialist, Disaster/Structural Collapse LiveFinds survivors with a trained dog
Evacuation SpecialistMoves residents out safely
Food Unit LeaderKeeps the team fed
Liaison OfficerCoordinates with partner agencies
Public Information OfficerKeeps the public informed

Training

What members train in

Every member trains year-round. Roles add their own certifications on top of the core.

  • Incident Command System (ICS) and NIMS
  • First aid, CPR and Basic Life Support (BLS)
  • Disaster search and rescue
  • Swift-water and rope rescue awareness
  • Radio communications
  • Navigation and GPS
  • Wildfire and hazardous materials awareness
  • Psychological first aid

The bar to deploy

Every step, before anyone deploys

A member becomes deployable once all of these are complete. We track each one for every member.

  1. STEP 1

    Application and interview

    We meet every applicant and match them to a role.

  2. STEP 2

    Waiver and agreements

    Signed before any training or field activity.

  3. STEP 3

    Background check

    Required for everyone who works with the public.

  4. STEP 4

    Emergency and medical info

    An emergency contact and basic medical information on file.

  5. STEP 5

    Certification

    Core training plus the certifications for their role.

Help us get people out of the danger zone

Support the network, or train with us and deploy when disaster hits.

Support D.A.R.T.Apply to volunteer