The Greeley Fire Department Special Operations Team exists to improve emergency responses that are outside the scope of typical emergency calls. The team attends advanced training and emergency response within Greeley and neighboring jurisdictions.
The Special Operations Team is trained and equipped for technical rescue for the following incidents:
- High and low angle rescue
- Trench rescue
- Confined space rescue
- Structural collapse stabilization and rescue
- Heavy vehicle and machinery stabilization and extrication
These types of incidents are often lengthy and extremely labor-intensive.
Personnel assigned to Fire Station #5 (4701 24th St.) are assigned to the department’s Special Operations Team. Personnel assigned to Fire Station #5 are required to maintain their firefighting and EMS skills while also participating in all technical rescue disciplines. In total, there are approximately 28 firefighters within the Greeley Fire Department who are part of the Special Operations Team.
Some personnel of the Special Operations Team are members of the Colorado Task Force 1 (CO-TF1). CO-FT1 is a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force based in Colorado. The task force is sponsored by the West Metro Fire Protection District and is made up of over 200 training members, including firefighters, paramedics, engineers, and canine handlers. Team members have deployed to several large-scale disasters throughout the country.
