DHS S&T search-and-rescue tool plays swift role in recent flood response

From the early moments of the devastating July 4 floods in Kerr County, Texas, S&T’s SARCOP provided integral support to the emergency responders leading search and rescue operations along the Guadalupe River. Those first on-scene quickly began logging their search targets, discoveries, and initial damage assessments—crucial incident intelligence collected and disseminated in real-time that played a dynamic role in supporting immediate recovery efforts.

“SARCOP allows field teams to access nearby resources and generate field status reports, improves transitions between shifts and team assignments, and allows for strategic decision-making during large-scale events,” said S&T Program Manager Ronald Langhelm. “With such a large area to cover and with so many response agencies on the ground, SARCOP from day one immediately provided all of them with shared overall situational awareness, expedited reporting, and full visibility of operations—regardless of agency affiliation.”

As the FEMA-designated primary information system for all local, regional, state, and federal urban search and rescue (US&R) teams, SARCOP continues to enable coordination across Texas as strategic field operations carry on. The platform has been instrumental during several statewide disasters in recent years, including Hurricane Ian. 

Read more at DHS