San Francisco Fleet Week 2024 Combined Urban Search and Rescue Training

by Petty Officer 1st Class Jesse Monford

10 October 2024 Nearly 50 Sailors and Marines participated in Urban Search and Rescue training with members of the San Francisco Fire Department during San Francisco Fleet Week 2024 on October 9.

The training was held on Treasure Island, an artificial island in San Francisco Bay and home to Naval Station Treasure Island, a former United States Navy facility that operated there from 1942 to 1997. Today, Treasure Island hosts the San Francisco Fire Department’s Training Facility.

Doug Johnson, a firefighter with the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) and an instructor for the Northern California Rescue Training team, explains the importance of these integrations.

“In the case of a natural disaster, if everyone has basic skill sets that can be depended upon to execute a need, it allows for a much more coordinated use of personnel,” said Johnson. “If I can turn to a group of military service members as a single resource and say, ‘Hey, here’s what we need to accomplish—are you capable of helping?’ it just makes it easier for those who have training on our side to pass off some of the responsibility.”

According to attending service members, some key takeaways from the event included safety, supervision, and executing tasks methodically. U.S. Navy Lt.j.g. Henry Gao, the repair division officer aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25), shared his experience from the training.

“All of these activities are fun training, but you obviously need to know all the precautions, check before you do anything that might be dangerous, and have a full plan for what it should look like if it’s safe. And, of course, if something looks dangerous, you need to know how to avoid the situation,” said Gao.

U.S. Marine Corps SSgt. Talon Wolfe, assigned to Somerset, also weighed in. “Being able to get involved with the community was huge,” said Wolfe. “My biggest takeaway was that, with this training, we’re able to showcase that we can do a lot more than we initially thought. Today, I worked with a team of other Sailors and Marines to lift a 6,000-pound slab of concrete.”

Deputy Chief of Operations for the SFFD, Darius Luttropp, shared his perspective on having service members integrate with firefighters and instructors during San Francisco Fleet Week 2024.

“All the Fleet Week training and Defense Support of Civil Authority exercises are both great opportunities to highlight civilian services and the military,” said Luttropp. “They give us a chance to see how each other operates. We truly get to see the value of interaction, motivation, drive, desire, and willingness. The tempo at which the military works is very similar to how the fire department operates. It’s always been a great collaborative relationship.”

Fleet Week, now in its 43rd iteration, is a time-honored sea service celebration that allows citizens of the Bay Area to witness today’s maritime capabilities firsthand. Nearly 2,500 Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen will showcase their skills and equipment, participate in various community service events, and enjoy the hospitality of the Bay Area.