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In November 2025, Ohio Task Force 1 (OH-TF1) delivered its ninth heavy equipment rigging specialist (HERS) class. The class is held at the Dayton (OH) Fire Department Training Center, home to OH-TF1.

Since 2012, OH-TF1 has been delivering this intensive program. In 2019, the team was recognized as a National Center of Excellence for our work in the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) system. There are 28 federal US&R task forces; in its largest deployable configuration, each task force will roster two HERS personnel to manage equipment such as cranes, excavators, and dump trucks for debris removal at the scene of a national disaster. This class is mandatory for individuals deploying as HERS with a federal US&R task force to a national disaster. The attendee must be a member of a DHS/FEMA task force with minimum three years of experience as a rescue specialist. They must complete a computer training/test, then the hands-on training, and a final test. There are HERS classes offered that other rescue teams can participate in, following the same class outline.

The class consists of four days of hands-on training with a day of computer-based “classroom” work. Ohio has delivered this class to members of more than 20 of these task forces and our other disaster response partners, such as National Guard units.

Members of OH-TF1 have been actively designing and advancing the curriculum of this class for more than 20 years. We are constantly researching, attending outside classes, and working with outside agencies such as International Operating Engineers Union Local 18 to stay current with best practices. Local 18 has been instrumental in helping us develop and putting this class on. Local 18 provides many of the cranes and operators with years of experience’ their continued contribution is an asset to the ongoing safety of our nation.