Audit of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of Inspector General Audit of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Office of Audits OIG-06-54 August 2006 Office of Inspector General U.S. Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC 20528 August 8, 2006 Preface The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) was established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-296) by amendment to the Inspector General Act of 1978. This is one of a series of audit, inspection, and special reports prepared as part of our oversight responsibilities to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness within the department. This report assesses the status of response preparedness achieved by the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System as a result of increased levels of funding made available for the System in a post-September 11, 2001, environment. It is based on interviews with employees and officials of relevant agencies and institutions, direct observations, and a review of applicable documents. The recommendations herein have been developed to the best knowledge available to our office, and have been discussed in draft with those responsible for implementation. It is our hope that this report will result in more effective, efficient, and economical operations. We express our appreciation to ...