In Episode 404 of Mic’d In New Haven — The E-Men: Inside The NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit (Volume 56) — ESU veteran Eric Becker reflects on the early formation of FEMA Urban Search & Rescue New York Task Force 1.
When the team first received its designation, resources were scarce. There was no formal funding, no polished equipment cache, and no warehouse full of gear — just determined rescuers piecing together tools however they could. Old military crates were repurposed, equipment was gathered from across units, and members pooled resources to build a deployable rescue capability from scratch.
Their first real test came with the Oklahoma City bombing deployment, where NY Task Force 1 responded alongside other USAR teams. That mission proved the concept — and once the team returned, the support and funding finally followed.
Today, the task force stands as a critical national asset, but its origins trace back to a group of rescuers who built the capability the hard way.
VIEW FULL INTERVIEW HERE:
Mike Colón Media 
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