Texas Task Force 1 mobilizes, trains in D/FW metroplex

Nearly 100 members of the Texas Task Force 1 red team mobilized to the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex last weekend, remained on standby for the duration of the Super Bowl XLV, and demobilized on Monday, Feb. 7.

The team was staged in the metroplex at the request of the Texas Division of Emergency Management and was prepared to respond as a state asset, if required. Members of TX-TF1 staffed the Disaster District Committee (DDC) office in Garland, and sent Liaison Officers (LNOs) to the State Operations Center in Austin and to the Garland Office of the Department of Public Safety.

During the weekend mobilization, the red team completed annual refresher training and position-specific training. The team also received training with a new mobile generator, designed to power the team’s Base of Operations, which includes sleeping quarters, eating facilities, a shower, and air conditioners or heaters.

“This was an opportunity to deploy to North Texas and strengthen our partnerships with other agencies in the area, including Texas Task Force 2 and the National Guard,” said TX-TF1 Operations Chief Jeff Saunders. “We also met with West Midlands Fire Service (UK) Chief Fire Officer Vig Randeniya and his staff and shared proactive search and rescue ideas. The snow and ice in the region added a level of realism to the mobilization exercise.”

About Texas Task Force 1
Texas Task Force 1 is sponsored by the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), is comprised of more than 450 personnel representing more than 60 jurisdictions and agencies from across the state of Texas, and is one of 28 teams in the national urban search and rescue system under FEMA. Headquartered in College Station, Texas Task Force 1 and TEEX coordinate statewide requests for search and rescue.