USAR or Technical Rescue?

What about if your UK based and have both as they are both different things?

I though USAR, Heavy Rescue, and Technical Rescue were all the same just different names. Can someone please explain the differences?

In the UK, we have Technical rescue units, and Urban Search and Rescue, so whats the difference, just the name?

These two mean different things here in Canada. Technical Rescue is a specialized city team that responds to high angle rescues, building collapses etc within city limits. USAR is based for Country or world wide. USAR will respond to things like attacks and major structure collapses, earthquakes, natural disasters. When it comes to Technical rescues for the cities I build, I use Heavy Rescues and only respond them to in city emergencies.

So in a nut shell, I would like to see USAR but have it respond all over the Country, or through provinces and States.

So where i am from, Technical Rescue is more of a Title if guess you could say. Like I am a TR Technician (Technical Rescuer Technician). Once you have passed your TR "General" classes, then you can take specialty classes like, TR: Ropes/High Angle, TR Swift Water, TR Trench and so on. USAR stands for Urban Search and Rescue. These are units that are made up of TR Certified people. There are Federal, State, And I believe local USAR Teams throughout the country. Most of the times the Units are called a "Task Force". Hope that helped a little bit.

'Technical Rescue unit' could be the name

In the case of the name being a cosmetic thing it wouldn't matter to me. Both Technical Rescue and USAR units are widely used. Also, thanks for the explanations everyone.

Maybe Enhanced Rescue Unit or something that comes inbetween to cover both sides?

Quote from Realjessey

Maybe Enhanced Rescue Unit or something that comes inbetween to cover both sides?

TBH, i'd go with the rather go with USAR, as the function is generally clearer, that said, we really shouldn't be getting bogged down with the term used, as long as the function is clear, then the principle of whatever id going in is fine.

Quote from me181

TBH, i'd go with the rather go with USAR, as the function is generally clearer, that said, we really shouldn't be getting bogged down with the term used, as long as the function is clear, then the principle of whatever id going in is fine.

Both terms are used here in Australia.

USAR is what we call our smaller units (SUV's/Battalion Chief type vehicles). Technical rescue has only recently been introduced into my state service - previously simply called 'rescue'. The heavy rescue unit in game pretty much covers the 'technical rescue' unit we have. Meanwhile the utility unit could easily enough represent our USAR units in my opinion, but some may think otherwise...

I agree with the points in the quote above - as long as the function is clear, then it should be fine

So in the UK we have technical rescue who deal with stuff like people getting stuck in trenches. They utilise rope rescue skills and other skill sets like animal rescue (other fire services in he uk have seperate units for this). Heavy rescue is a unit like squad in the US. It's a truck with little to no fire fighting capabilities. It's basically a truck filled with extra rescue equipment such as saws, small inflatable boats, car accident equipment. There's also river rescue but that's a whole new can of worms. HART teams are trained in USAR, so they operate alongside search and rescue units. If you were going to implement one, it would probs be best to use USAR, because technical rescue basicslly so he job of heavy rescue, you can just use different skins for it.

We use Technical Rescue here

How about renaming "Heavy Rescue" to "Equipment Rescue"

And naming the new one to "Technical Rescue"

So that way we have several types of Rescue Trucks

Equipment Rescue
Marine/Water Rescue
Technical Rescue or Special Ops Rescue

Quote from rescuenut93

How about renaming "Heavy Rescue" to "Equipment Rescue"

And naming the new one to "Technical Rescue"

Hmm... What would be the difference between the two?

Are there any countries/cities out there that have 'equipment rescue' units? Or is it simply your wording of things?

There is a definite difference in the UK between TR and USAR. USAR are the specialist teams for building collapses, cutting and shoring through materials. They do share some skill sets with TR though primarily rope rescue. As said USAr is often across the FRS or even regional across more than one service whereas TR is within one FRS or a part of a FRS area. It differs.

TR teams are rope and water rescue specialists primarily although with the removal of some regions HR vehicles as 'normal' appliances carry a good range of kit for road crashes TR often attend these as well.

HART (NHS Ambulance Special Ops) train their paramedics in USAR so they can go onto the rubble grounds and work alongside the USAR technicians. HART are also trained in CBRNe, Water and Safe Work at Height among others.

It gets confusing with TR and HR as the terms have become rather swappable. In addition some FRS have specialist rescue units which are massive trucks (and i mean on a UK term) which carry everything from USAR kit, cutting gear, shoring gear, water rescue, rope rescue and a boat and engine.

I hope that makes sense to someone. In MC terms, it depends on what the mission requirements are and what you can send be it USAR, TR, HART, HR or something else.

I could dig out my books on FRS to give the technical definitions but i think that would be a bit too much information.

Quote from wings203

Hmm... What would be the difference between the two?
Are there any countries/cities out there that have 'equipment rescue' units? Or is it simply your wording of things?

The majority of our Heavy Rescues are actually considered Rescues or Equipment Trucks. Our county doesn't consider them Heavy Rescues. Some of them are Technical, others have an inflatable boat, etc. All depends on it's primary role.