Search and Rescue Strike Team

05/21/2026

This week, 3 K9/Drone Search and Rescue Strike Team K9 handlers traveled to New York City to participate in an open K9 training hosted by NYPD ESU/New York Task Force 1. K9 teams from Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District, Lockport Township Fire Protection District, and Hillside Fire Department trained alongside teams from Canada Task Force 3, Indiana Task Force 1, FDNY K9, and Penn Vet Working Dog Program. Training trips help sharpen our skills and keep our members prepared for emergency response. Thanks to MABAS-Illinois/IL-TF1 and their respective departments for sending our members, and their continued support of our K9 Teams!

05/09/2026

This past Thursday, members from the K9/Drone Search and Rescue Strike Team participated in a major MABAS-Illinois water rescue exercise in the City of Oglesby, Illinois. Water rescue teams from IL-TF1, IL-WR1, and MABAS Divisions 14, 15, and 25 performed rescue evolutions along the Vermillion River.

K9 Teams from Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District, Hillside Fire Department, and Lockport Township Fire Protection District participated in boat acclimation drills while Drones from Niles Fire Department and West Chicago Fire Protection District provided over watch for the boat teams, preformed search operations, and UTV support with transporting victims, personnel, and equipment. Our command Chief form Glenview Fire Department provided command support and incident coordination from the base of operations.

The exercise concluded with the SRST, in conjunction with local Police and Fire Department personnel, preforming a wide area search of over 1900 acres at Matthiessen state park river area. The team searched for 11 missing people and located all 11 victims within 2 hours of operations.

05/04/2026

Lockport Township Fire Protection District highlighting our team for their Sunday spotlight!

***Spotlight Sunday***

This week’s highlights the dedicated members of our K9/Drone Search and Rescue Strike Team

Our SRST exists for one simple reason...to help bring people home.

We have 2 highly trained K9 teams certified in US&R Type 1 Live Find, along with NAPWDA tracking, trailing, area, and building search. Supporting them are 9 FAA Part 107 certified drone pilots who provide a critical aerial view during search operations.

Together, this multi-agency team brings K9s, drones, command staff, and UTV support into one coordinated effort.

Working alongside MABAS-Illinois (IL-TF1) and neighboring departments, our team uses every available tool and technique to locate missing individuals as quickly and safely as possible.

04/14/2026

Be weather alert this evening if you are located in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin!

Multiple waves of thunderstorms are expected tonight with an associated severe threat level of 2 and 3 of 5. The highest tornado and destructive hail threat remains across far northern Illinois (north of black dashed line). Additional storms are then expected through the overnight hours. Have multiple ways to receive warning information, including ways to wake you up at night!

03/13/2026

On March 10, two SRST members from Lockport Township Fire Protection District and their K9 partners, responded down to Kankakee and Aroma Park as part of the muli-division MABAS-Illinois mutual aid response to assist with search and rescue operations in the aftermath of severe storms and a damaging EF-3 tornado. Many of our team members are part of their department's divisional Technical Rescue Teams, in addition to their responsibilities on the Search and Rescue Strike Team. If needed, our boots on the ground would request additional SRST units, but luckily, there was not significant injuries and/or missing people. Event's like these highlight why we train so often and so hard to always be prepared when disaster strikes.

03/10/2026

First round of severe spring storms are upon us. Please take preparation seriously.

Event's like this are what we train for weekly. Our team is always ready.

[12:12 PM CDT Tuesday 3/10/2026]

The NOAA NWS Storm Prediction Center has upgraded a portion of the area to a threat level 4/5 (Moderate Risk) for severe storms later today into this evening, shaded in red on the map, which is for areas primarily south of I-80.

Within the level 4/5 area, the main concerns include damaging tornadoes (potentially strong) and/or destructive hail >=2" in diameter.

Given the current southwestward progression of a lake enhanced cold front, it still appears that areas farther northeast in the level 4/5 (moderate risk) are more likely to have a significant hail threat vs. a significant tornado threat. As we continue to assess the progress of the front and where it ultimately stalls this afternoon, we'll be able to better refine the area of greatest concern for damaging tornadoes.

Within the level 3/5 (Enhanced Risk) area, particularly areas north of the level 4/5, the main concern is for damaging to potentially destructive hail, with localized wind damage also a possibility.

To read the text of the outlook discussion, go to: https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1otlk.html

12/29/2025

Thank you RED Center for representing our team. Way to take home the win, thanks for all you do for us.

11/12/2025

Please join us in congratulating our incredible team members and their K9 partners!

Today these hardworking teams successfully completed their NAPWDA certifications, showing outstanding skill, dedication, and teamwork.

They earned certifications in:
🐾 Trailing
🐾 Tracking
🐾 Wide Area Search
🐾 Building Search
🐾 Obedience
🐾 Article Search

We couldn’t be more proud of the effort and commitment each team puts into training to better serve our communities. Great job, everyone!

Hillside Fire Department
Lockport Township Fire Protection District
Roselle Fire Department
Romeoville Fire Department
New Lenox Fire District

10/31/2025

A big thank you goes out once again to Richardson "World's Largest" Corn Maze for having us out to train this week. We have used the farm several times, and continue to come up with more realistic and challenging training scenarios for our team.

The SRST trains twice a month and utilizes real locations to hone in our search and rescue skills.

Fun fact... One of our drone operators family own the farm.

10/29/2025

🚨🚨Deployment 🚨🚨

Last night, the SRST was requested by the Wilmette Police Department to assist in locating a missing juvenile.

First-arriving units gathered intelligence and developed a search plan. K9 Roy from the Romeoville Fire Department initiated a track from the individual’s residence, following the scent trail through the neighborhood and out to a main road.

Multiple drones were deployed to search parks, open areas and the train railways while also providing aerial coverage for Roy and his handler. Ground units checked open businesses, canvassed the area, and spoke with neighbors.

A command post was established to coordinate search efforts among the team, police, and local volunteers. K9 Thor from the West Chicago Fire Department later arrived and was rotated in for Roy. Thor tracked south along the main road, working through alleys and smaller spaces. After several miles, Roy and Thor switched out again, with Roy continuing the track south. An addition K9 team from Hillside Fire Department showed up and was put in staging for another switch out if needed.

Throughout the operation, ground units continued checking businesses along the track. A few miles into the search, police were notified that the juvenile had been located safely several miles ahead of the K9 teams.

This successful outcome is a true testament to the collaboration and dedication of multiple agencies—an all-hands-on-deck effort that led to a safe and positive resolution for the community.

Command from Glenview Fire Department, Romeoville Fire Department, and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District.

Drone teams from West Chicago Fire Protection District, Glenview, Tinley Park Fire Department Firefighter's Association and Niles Fire Department.

K9 teams from Village of Romeoville, West Chicago, Hillside Fire Department and Lockport Township Fire Protection District