About the Team

Tennessee Task Force One is nationally recognized for its excellence in both canine and technical search & rescue capabilities. Its members serve in specialized roles such as task force leaders, planners, communications and safety officers, canine and technical search specialists, rescue personnel, physicians, paramedics, nurses, heavy equipment operators, structural engineers, logisticians, and hazardous materials specialists.

With as little as four hours’ notice, TN-TF1 can deploy up to 80 highly trained members to major incidents anywhere in the United States. The team is equipped with millions of dollars in advanced tools and technology, ready to assist communities facing life-threatening emergencies.

Officially incorporated into the national FEMA US&R system on June 30, 1992, Tennessee Task Force One has consistently been recognized as one of the top-performing teams in the country. The task force has responded to more than 42 deployments nationwide, including high-profile missions such as:

• The Pentagon terrorist attack on September 11, 2001

• The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City

• The Columbia Space Shuttle disaster in 2003

• Hurricane Katrina in 2005

• Moore, Oklahoma tornado in 2013

• Hurricane Harvey in 2017

• Hurricane Michael in 2018

• Hurricane Helene in 2024

• Texas Floods - Kerr County, TX in 2025

TN-TF1 continues to uphold the highest standards of readiness, resilience, and service, 

exemplifying the very best in urban search and rescue operations.