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JSGC Podcast

The Joint State Government Commission (JSGC) is the primary non-partisan public policy and statutory research organization that serves the Pennsylvania General Assembly. We issue reports on a wide variety of public policy topics. Our episodes feature staff discussions highlighting recently released reports. To learn more about us and access full reports, please visit our website: http://jsg.legis.state.pa.us/

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JSGC Podcast

Urban Search and Rescue in Pennsylvania

September 05, 2025 • JSGC • Episode 48

In this episode the JSGC podcast crew interviewed project manager Allison Kobzowicz and legal analyst John Brettler about Pennsylvania’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) resources. Topics covered in this episode include how many of USAR teams are present in Pennsylvania, what elements comprise them, their history, how they are funded, and recommendations for how this system might be improved. The content of this episode is based on “Assessment of the Commonwealth's Urban Search and Rescue Capabilities,” released in July of 2025. The full report and a summary are available on our website.

JSGC would also like to thank the first responders working to keep Pennsylvania safe.

Acronyms appearing in this episode

FEMA – Federal Emergency Management Agency

PEMA – Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency

CBRNE – Chemical Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive

CERF-P – CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package

UASI – Urban Area Security Initiative

SHSP – State Homeland Security Program

Music by Joseph McDade. Visit us at http://jsg.legis.state.pa.us/