The St. Charles County Special Operations Team is a Division of the St. Charles County Emergency Services Association and is overseen by the St. Charles County Fire Protection Association. The Chief's Representative that oversees the team is Fire Chief Ernie Rhodes.

The rescue team is part of the St. Louis Metro Heavy Rescue Task Force. The St. Charles County Special Operations Team is also known as the St. Louis Metro Heavy Rescue Task Force - Strike Team # 1. The primary mission of Strike Team # 1 is Urban Search and Rescue.

Urban search-and-rescue (US&R) involves the location, rescue (extrication), and initial medical stabilization of victims trapped in confined spaces. Structural collapse is most often the cause of victims being trapped, but victims may also be trapped in transportation accidents, mines and collapsed trenches.

Urban search-and-rescue is considered a "multi-hazard" discipline, as it may be needed for a variety of emergencies or disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, storms and tornadoes, floods, dam failures, technological accidents, terrorist activities, and hazardous materials releases. The events may be slow in developing, as in the case of hurricanes, or sudden, as in the case of earthquakes.

For additional information contact:

Captain Robb F. Watkins EMT-P / MBA
St. Charles Fire Department
200 N. Second
St. Charles, MO 63301
Office: 636-949-3250
Cell: 314-486-6037