Fire Rescue Special Teams

Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue has two Special Operations Teams - South Carolina Task Force 4 (SCTF-4) and South Carolina Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team 4 (SCHM-4).

• These teams are comprised of firefighters from Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue and Bluffton Township Fire District.
• The teams are ready to respond to significant technical rescue and hazardous materials emergencies locally, regionally, and statewide.
• Both of the special teams' operational costs are funded through annual Federal Homeland Security Grants that support new and replacement equipment purchases.

Technical Rescue Team

The Technical Rescue Team (SCTF-4) provides rescue, recovery, and disaster assistance at various types of incidents. These incidents may involve collapsed buildings, trench collapse, confined space rescue, high angle rescue, heavy vehicle or machinery entrapment, large area search, and flood water evacuation and rescue.

As part of the State of SC Emergency Response Task Force, the team serves as one of the five SC Regional Urban Search & Rescue Response Teams and is subject to deployment anywhere in the state through Firefighter Mobilization.

The team is comprised of fifty firefighters from Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue and Bluffton Township Fire District and is available for emergency responses within both jurisdictions on an around the clock basis, every day of the year. Additionally, the team provides technical rescue response to the City of Hardeeville, the Town of Ridgeland, and Jasper County through mutual aid agreements.

Hazard Materials Emergency Response Team

The Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team (HMERT) responds to emergency calls involving the release of hazardous materials or to test chemicals to determine the risk posed to the community.

• The purpose of the HMERT is to provide for victim removal from hazardous atmospheres, decontamination of individuals exposed to contaminants, and incident stabilization/property (environmental) conservation through hazardous materials identification and release mitigation.
• The HMERT also serves as a Regional Hazmat and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Response Team for the State of South Carolina and is subject to deployment anywhere in the state through Firefighter Mobilization.

The HMERT is comprised of firefighters from Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue and Bluffton Township Fire District. The HMERT provides hazardous materials response coverage to the City of Hardeeville, the Town of Ridgeland, and Jasper County through mutual aid agreements.

Team members attend monthly HMERT Training while both on duty and off duty throughout the year.

• The topics also ensure Team members meet national standards.
• The HMERT also participates in operational readiness exercises that are developed and administered by the state to evaluate team performance.