National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Response System

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is funding the National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Response System (CFDA 97.025) to sustain and maintain the operational readiness of 28 designated federal task forces, with the most recent grant awards issued on September 1, 2025.

The program funds day-to-day administration, grant management, training, exercises, procurement of vehicles and equipment, and storage and maintenance for the 28 task forces. These forces provide a coordinated national all-hazards capability for locating, extricating, and stabilizing survivors following structural collapse and other disasters resulting from natural and man-made causes, including earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, aircraft accidents, hazardous materials spills, and catastrophic structure collapses. When deployed in response to Presidentially declared major disasters or emergencies under the Stafford Act, the task forces conduct mass search-and-rescue operations immediately after an incident and assist with stabilization and restoration of community lifelines.

The program is active and well-established, having issued 706 total awards since 2001. Recent activity averages 28–55 awards annually over the past five years, with 31 awards in 2025. Combined federal dollars obligated total $1.71 billion. The assistance-type mix is predominantly Project Grants (625 awards, 89 percent) with a smaller share of Cooperative Agreements (81 awards, 11 percent). FEMA Headquarters Financial Assistance Awards dominates the portfolio with 343 awards and $1.21 billion in federal dollars obligated; FEMA independently issued 363 awards and $502.9 million. Individual award magnitudes range from approximately $1.4 million to $1.5 million for routine task-force readiness funding, though system-wide multi-year awards have reached higher levels—for example, Project Grant EMW2023CAUSR obligated $100.4 million for the period through September 30, 2028.

Recent awards exemplify the funding pattern: Project Grants EMW2025CA05010, EMW2025CA05012, and EMW2025CA05008, issued September 1, 2025, obligated $1.53 million, $1.54 million, and $1.52 million respectively for three-year periods ending August 31, 2028. All 28 task-force sponsoring agencies received awards in the September 2025 funding cycle.

A Fiscal Year 2026 solicitation (DHS-26-DOD-025-00-99) was posted August 24, 2026, with a due date of August 31, 2026. It solicits Cooperative Agreements to fund the 28 task forces' administration, training, exercises, vehicle and equipment procurement, and storage and maintenance. Applicant eligibility is restricted to other entity types as specified in the NOFO. Previous fiscal-year solicitations consistently opened in mid-June through August and targeted state, local, county, and tribal government sponsoring agencies.