In 2004, the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department proposed the concept of developing a regional US&R team to the North Central Texas Council of Governments. Through the efforts of a committed group of people, a Type-3 US&R Task Force was formed and became operational on April 1, 2007. The team was designed to provide an immediate response anywhere within the 16 counties of the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
In the coming years, with the support of the Texas Division of Emergency Management TX-TF2 was able to enhance their capabilities to be able to respond as a Type-2 US&R Task Force anywhere in the State of Texas.
Texas Task Force 2 has the capability to deploy as a Type-2, Type-3, or Type-4 US&R Task Force. With a state-of-the-art equipment cache, TX-TF2 is self-sufficient for the first 72 hours of operation, and can function with support for up to 14 days under remote and austere conditions.
It is made up of responders from North Texas, all who reside within a three-hour window of Dallas, TX, and ready 24 hours a day to be mobilized and deployed anywhere in the state of Texas. Although many members are firefighters with volunteer and career departments, TX-TF2 is composed of individuals from various professional backgrounds such as fire, police, IT support, and engineering.
Texas Task Force 2 is also a member of the State Urban Search and Rescue Alliance (SUSAR) whose mission is to "support and conducts research, education, and informational activities to benefit the communities served by state-level US&R teams."
