HURT members at Volk FieldThe City of Madison Fire Department responds to many types of emergencies. Any emergency requiring technical rescue techniques will initiate the response of the department’s Heavy Urban Rescue Team (HURT), established in 2007.

The HURT is a continuation of an investment in technical rescue capabilities that began in 1985.

The team is trained to respond to a variety of emergencies that include, but are not limited to:

  • Confined space rescue
  • High/low angle rope rescue
  • Trench collapse rescue
  • Building collapse rescue
  • Silo and grain entrapment rescue


 
The team will respond anywhere in Dane County for technical rescues, if requested. It is comprised of 76 members who have been trained to the technician level by completing the following hours of training:

  • Ropes: 80 hrs
  • Confined Space: 40 hrs.
  • Trench: 48 hrs.
  • Light Collapse: 40 hrs.
  • Heavy Collapse: 40 hrs.


Ongoing training is conducted every Monday along with annual trips to the state’s Regional Emergency All-Climate Training (REACT) Center at Volk Field. University of Wisconsin facilities, the City of Madison Water Utility, and a network of private contractors have donated time, facilities, and money to enhance our training possibilities.