We usually travel with about 75-80 so that’s about right. It’s about 3/4 elite firefighters and paramedics and then some specialists like K9, doctors and engineers ( engineering is my thing).
We do travel with a lot of equipment but our traveling cache is mostly for breaking cutting shoring and jacking. Bigger stuff like cranes and lifts have to be provided locally. I’ve never seen a place that wasn’t able to get them locally but all bets are off when there is widespread destruction.
It depends a lot on the type of structure and collapse. Sometimes we can get into structures through voids without big equipment. But if they are tightly pancaked there isn’t really another way. Usually it is an evolution of working voids that ends up moving to more of a heavy demolition. But honestly that evolution often takes place after the survivability window because it is incredibly time consuming to do it carefully enough to prevent harming survivors in the collapse. The more targeted void work has a higher chance of success because it is faster and more surgical. Our team saved seven in Haiti entirely working voids. Of course there is more risk in that. Especially with aftershocks. But that is what makes them heroes.
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