The Special Tactics and Rescue Service is a privately funded nationwide special police force surpassing the likes of S.W.A.T. Working with local, state and Federal law enforcement, S.T.A.R.S. is normally deployed in investigations too tough for average police forces to handle such as those involving terrorism, in particular matters relating to cult activity.
History
The first S.T.A.R.S. unit was established in the summer of 1967 in New York City to investigate a series of occult-related homicides. Since then, S.T.A.R.S. units have been established in a number of major metropolitan areas.
The branch involved in the Raccoon City incident was formed in 1996 by Albert Wesker and Barry Burton thanks to a number of donations by Umbrella and other private organisations as part of mayor Michael Warren's "A Bright 21st Century For Raccoon City" campaign. The unit was dissolved in July 1998 following an investigation in the Arklay Mountains, which led to the near complete decimation of the entire squad.
Since then, Umbrella placed a bounty on each of the surviving members of the team due to their knowledge of Umbrella's secret bio-organic weapons research. Umbrella employed various methods to wipe out the surviving members, from ordering Chief of Police Brian Irons to have them killed in an "accidental" manner, to deploying the Nemesis T-Type to Raccoon City during the T-virus outbreak in September 1998.
Members
Members of the organization are normally recruited from law enforcement or military agencies such as S.W.A.T. and the USAF. Some members such as the 18 year old Rebecca Chambers are recruited specifically for their abilities in certain fields, making S.T.A.R.S. a more open yet even more selective organization requiring very specific skills and qualities. On top of this, all S.T.A.R.S. members undergo extensive training in various fields to add to their already expansive knowledge and experience.
All S.T.A.R.S. units are divided into two teams, Alpha Team and Bravo Team, and each squad member is assigned to a position such as BUM (Backup Man) or OM (Omni-Man).
Equipment
Due to the funding provided by Umbrella, the Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S. team were able to acquire the latest and most advanced weapons and equipment possible at the time. The extra-generous donations from Umbrella, expertise of Barry Burton and help of the local Kendo Gun Shop managed by Robert Kendo and Joseph Kendo aided in this, providing expert customization. The greatest example of this is the Samurai Edge, which became the unit's primary sidearm just before its ultimate destruction.