Pennsylvania
HElicopter Aquatic Rescue Team
(PA-HART)

Strike Team Leader:  Scott Grahn
Program Manager:  Chris Anderson
Blue Squad Leader:  Joel Koricich
Gold Squad Leader:  George Drees

The Special Medical Response Team expanded to provide advanced life support to assist the Pennsylvania Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team (PA-HART) in 2018.  SMRT was tasked with provided medical providers to the crews comprised of service personnel from the Pennsylvania Army National Guard (PA-ANG) and rescue technicians from Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) supported by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA).  PA-HART provides the ability to access victims in austere, remote, and water-based environments.  

PEMA took over as the sole sponsoring agency for the program in 2021.  On January 1, 2022, SMRT signed as the Participating Agency for the rescue technicians on the Pennsylvania Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team through an agreement with PEMA.  Reporting to the PEMA Bureau of External Operations, the rescue technicians, supported by the cadre of emergency medical service personnel on SMRT, continue to support local and state emergency services to protect the life safety of individuals in need across the Commonwealth in austere and remote locations during non-traditional emergency incidents.  

 For more information on the Pennsylvania Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team (PA-HART), see PEMA's PA-HART official webpage, PA-HART's official YouTube channel, and PA-HART's official FaceBook page.