Crown Point Fire Department

US&R Deployment | Merrillville Tornado

Last night, Crown Point Fire Department’s Technical Rescue Team was immediately requested following the violent tornado that struck Merrillville.

Our 20+ person team — structural collapse and wide-area search specialists, made up from members from other area departments— was among the first mutual aid resources on scene. We established a staging area centrally located within the heaviest damaged corridor and stood up a command element overseeing 5 Urban Search & Rescue squads, each supported by a fire engine and ambulance.

The search area covered approximately 1,500 structures. Roughly 200 sustained damage ranging from moderate to catastrophic. Every single one was searched, marked, and documented. Hasty and primary searches ran through the early morning hours. Targeted secondary searches are continuing today in the daylight.

This was a large-scale, complex operation — and exactly the kind of mission our team trains for.

Crown Point’s Technical Rescue Team is fully funded by the City of Crown Point — no grants, no outside support. Just a community that invests in the capability, and a team that shows up ready to use it — for our neighbors and anyone who needs us.

For questions or inquires, please contact Chief Mark Baumgardner: [email protected]

Hey, Crown Point!👋 Our expert car seat technicians are hosting a car seat clinic 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟯𝟬. Stop by the station between 9 a.m. and noon — no appointment needed — to brush up on your child seat safety.🚗

Seats may be available for qualifying families in need. For questions, email [email protected].

On the final day of “Dive Week,” divers focused on sonar imaging, learning how to interpret underwater images and identify objects in challenging environments.

Sonar technology is a valuable tool during underwater search operations, helping divers locate both small and large objects more efficiently and, in some cases, reducing search times during emergencies.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Dive Right In Scuba for their support and sponsorship throughout the week. Their partnership helped make this training a success, and we are fortunate to have them as our dive shop.

We would also like to thank Aurelio's Pizza for providing lunch today.

Finally, we are incredibly grateful to all of the department divers who participated in this week-long training: Merrillville, Cedar Lake, Hobart, Monticello, Michigan City, Portage, Lansing, East Hazel Crest, Markham, Oak Forest, and MABAS 24.

Thank you to everyone who helped make Dive Week a success.