COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX)-sponsored Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1) was activated late last night by FEMA for deployment in anticipation of Hurricane Isaac. The storm is expected to make landfall Tuesday night somewhere along the coast of Louisiana. TX-TF1 resources will stage a Type 1 US&R Team in a designated area to respond quickly to assist where requested.

Members of TEEX’s Public Works Response Team (PWRT) are monitoring the situation from the State’s Emergency Operations Center in Austin. The PWRT uses a similar model to TX-TF1 to bring resources to local officials that allow critical infrastructure and systems back online as quickly as possible allowing citizens and businesses to return to normal.

Who is TX-TF1?
TX-TF1 is sponsored by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) and has deployed over 80 times since 1997, including the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy, Sept. 11th World Trade Center attack, and Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike. TX-TF1 can be activated by the Texas Division of Emergency Management or as one of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) 28 sanctioned urban search and rescue teams.

Members of TX-TF1 range from firefighters and medical personnel, to structural engineers, and come from all areas capable of reporting to College Station within a five-hour window. The task force consists of three separate units of approximately 80 members each. The teams rotate on a monthly standby, stand-down or on-call status. The “Blue” Team is currently on call for deployment.

Interviews:

TX-TF1 leadership will available for interviews by request at the time of demobilization.

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