Texas Task Force 1 deployed for Hurricanes Florence and Olivia
COLLEGE STATION – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has activated Texas Task Force 1, which is sponsored by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, in response to hurricanes bearing down on the Eastern U.S. and Hawaii.
Sixteen members and water rescue equipment and boats are on their way to North Carolina as part of a FEMA US&R Water Mission Ready Package. They will pre-stage in Raleigh and then deploy where needed to support local jurisdictions in response to Hurricane Florence, a major hurricane which is expected to make landfall on Friday. This team is part of a large FEMA US&R response to this weather event. Additionally, one TX-TF1 member is deployed as a Logistics Section Chief for the FEMA US&R Incident Support Team, which has mobilized for Hurricane Olivia, which is set to make landfall in Hawaii on Wednesday morning.
“Because of the depth and extent of our team’s expertise, we can meet the needs of not only Texans, but our fellow citizens in other parts of the country,” said Chuck Jones, TX-TF1 Operations Chief. “Texas Task Force 1 and Texas Task Force 2 have over 800 highly trained members and canines with diverse backgrounds and skills, able to support search, rescue, logistics, emergency medicine, structural engineering and more. Our task force members train year-round to be ready to respond at a moment’s notice.”
(Photo caption: Water rescue equipment is prepared for deployment to North Carolina from Texas Task Force 1 headquarters in College Station.)
About Texas Task Force 1
TX-TF1 is sponsored by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), a member of The Texas A&M University System. The Task Force has deployed over 100 times since 1997, including the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy, Sept. 11th World Trade Center attack, and Hurricanes Harvey, 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.
Visit the Texas Task Force 1 Website: www.texastaskforce1.org/
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