FRANKFORT, Ky. — One of the many lessons learned after the deadly natural disasters in western and eastern Kentucky was the need for additional resources to help with rescues. Earlier this year state lawmakers passed a bill to do just that.

What You Need To Know

  • A new law aims to create a Kentucky Urban Search and Rescue Team

  • First responders on that team would be deployed after major natural disasters

  • The concept for this comes after the state was hit by two deadly disasters within a year

  • State officials are proposing a $16 million budget to create it

House Bill 157 sought to create a statewide Urban Search and Rescue Team. Currently, Kentucky relies on local and federal groups. Following that bill’s passage, the Kentucky Department of Emergency Management (KDEM) has worked throughout the year on what one of these teams will look like.

During an interim committee meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 25, Jeremy Slinker, director of KDEM, presented lawmakers with more details on the proposed team.

Slinker says they hope to create three 70-person rescue teams, which will be made up of specially trained first responders.

“They self-sustain for 72 hours. I mean, they don’t draw on strained resources already. Food, water and facilities. You’ll be able to set up areas, camps that can self-sustaining and not draw electric power or water or any of those things away from the people that are needing it,” Slinker said.

Slinker proposed having two locations in the state where the search and rescue teams could deploy from. Bluegrass Station Avon in Lexington and Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center in Greenville. Slinker says this would allow them to respond to nearly the entire state within two hours.

His proposed budget, which accounts for fiscal year 2025 and 2026, would cost just over $16 million.

“Equipment and fleet makes up near 70% of that,” Slinker explained.

Along with the three rescue teams, that budget also sets aside money to support statewide helicopter rescue teams and a fund that provides first responders with rescue gear.

State Rep. Chris Fugate, R-Chavies, represents parts of eastern Kentucky hit hardest during the 2022 floods. He says he is hopeful their budget gets passed because he saw firsthand the need for this resource.  

“I know what my people went through in July 2022 and we need to put our money into that effort so that they can be helped,” Fugate said.

Lawmakers return to Frankfort in January 2024 for the next legislative session.

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