Formed in 1987, Task Force One Regional Rescue has been providing cutting edge technical rescue services to the local and surrounding areas. The Loveland-Symmes Fire Department has been providing a Dive Rescue and Underwater Recovery Unit since 1981. In 1987 the Sheriff of Hamilton County requested that we assist them in forming a Dive Team. This type of cooperative effort was almost unheard of between a fire department and law enforcement, however, it worked so well that the teams formed a Multi-Jurisdictional Dive Rescue Team that still sets an example for similar teams across the country 17 years later. The team as we know it today is comprised of 75 highly trained and motivated team members from several public safety organizations, including the Loveland- Symmes Fire Department, the Loveland Police Department, the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office, The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the Union Township (Clermont County) Police and Fire Departments, the Indian Hill Rangers, and a handful of specialists from the private sector. The team has performed hundreds of water rescues, and evidence recoveries over the years, and is regularly requested to send support teams to cities and states outside of our normal three county response area, including Lake Laurel, Tennessee, and Falmouth, Kentucky during the floods of ‘97. The team not only provides a Dive Team, but also provides paramedics, who are cross trained as law enforcement officers and SWAT-certified, to provide primary medical support to four local SWAT and SRT teams, and secondary support to other teams at the State Level. This experienced group of Law Enforcement Medics has cooperated to create a Tactical Medical Support School to share their knowledge and experience with other Tactical Medics in the country. This non-profit course is offered annually and has become one of the premier courses of its kind. The Task Force also works with two Clandestine Lab Response Teams, providing the same level of medical support along with members highly trained in dealing with Hazardous Materials. These are just a few of the specialties this group trains for. The Rescue personnel are required to train in many specialties, while maintaining all of their other certifications and skills required to be proficient in the Fire, Emergency Medical Services, or Law Enforcement. They are a dedicated group that is happy to put in the extra effort to provide these skills.

Since that time, the Team has expanded to provide a multitude of technical rescue services, including, but not limited to Dive Rescue/Recovery, Ice Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, Building Collapse Rescue as well as Hi-Angle & Low-Angle Rope Rescues. Agencies involved with the Team now include the L.S.F.D., Hamilton County Sheriffs Office & Clermont County Sheriffs Office.

All members of TF-1 are specially trained in the various aspects of technical rescue. Each technician attend hundreds of hours of specialized training. Plus, team training occurs each month.

We currently operate 3 inflatable boats, 1 rigid hull boat, a Hovercraft and mobile Communications Center.

TF-1 was instrumental in establishing the first communications during the 1997 floods in Falmouth Kentucky. The Team as a whole made over 50 rescues in both Adams County, Ohio and Falmouth during these devastating floods.

The TF-1 Team uses the very best & latest equipment. As seen here, one of our divers is dressed in a dry suit with the typical equipment used on most every dive call-out. The dry suit enables the divers to submerge in most any type of water, cold or contaminated, etc.

As a general rule, the TF-1 Team uses a 2:1 rule. For every diver in the water, there are 2 surface personnel making sure nothing goes wrong. Here, team members are using a "surface supplied air system" to enable the diver to stay submerged for longer periods of time. It also allows us to stay in contact with the diver through the built in communications system.

Without a doubt, personnel safety is paramount to the members of Task Force ONE. Below you see a diver ready for action, getting a safety check before his actual dive. A rigorous safety check is completed on each diver, by two separate team members as well as a full set of medical vitals taken, before and after each dive.

Not only does the TF-1 Team perform water related rescues, they are also highly skilled in advanced rope rescue as well. As seen in these pictures, from this year's "Rope Tech. I & II" course, the training involved with rope rescue is as intense as the dive training.