NEWS INFORMATION FROM |
|
|
THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED |
FOR IMMEDIATE USE |
PA TASK FORCE 1 DISPATCHED TO MISSISSIPPI; CITY-BASED URBAN SEARCH & RESCUE TEAM TO ASSIST IN SEARCH FOR SURVIVORSMayor Stephen R. Reed and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Adrian King this afternoon announced that PA-Task Force 1, the city-based federal Urban Search and Rescue Team(USAR), has been activated by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency for immediate deployment to Mississippi, in the wake of massive devastation and search and rescue needs resulting from Hurricane Katrina. Half of the 160-member team will be leaving via motor convoy late this afternoon from the Special Operations Center in north Harrisburg. Reed said the highly trained USAR team, the first unit deployed to New York City during 2001’s terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, includes 17 members from the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire, with the rest coming from fire and emergency response agencies from the midstate, Baltimore and Philadelphia. The team will be led by Deputy Fire Chief Timothy Sevison and Captain Daniel Hartman, both of the Harrisburg Fire Bureau. Only half of the team is being deployed at this time, with the remaining personnel on standby for possible later deployment or relief of the now-dispatched personnel. The team has past experience with hurricanes, having been dispatched to North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Floyd. The Mayor said the team includes personnel that have been specially trained in complex building collapse rescues and entrapments, as well as water rescues. The team has specialized equipment to accomplish a wide array of rescue and emergency services, which has now been loaded for the 20-hour long motor convoy to Mississippi, where they will likely be assigned to the heavily hit Gulfport region. “PA Task Force 1 is very well trained and one of the most experienced rescue teams in the nation,” said Reed, “whose capabilities extend far beyond the ordinary. From rescuing victims trapped in collapsed buildings to the use of specialized water rescue craft, these outstanding public servants are trained to deal with the toughest types of rescue services. Our appreciation is extended for their sacrifice and commitment, and our prayers go out to they and their families for their safe return.” Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Teams are highly-trained and specially-equipped organizations that respond to complex, large-structure collapses and other dangerous rescue situations,” said Richard D. Flinn, Special Assistant to the PEMA Director. “Fortunately, PA Task Force 1 is one of the best USAR Teams in the country and they are answering the call to help people in the devastated Gulf Coast Region.” Established in 1999 as part of a national response network, PA-Task Force 1 is one 27 USAR teams located throughout the nation. The City of Harrisburg serves as the administrator for the state team, and its headquarters is owned and operated by the city in north Harrisburg. Reed said off-duty city fire personnel will fill-in for the firefighters sent to Mississippi, so there will be reduction in city firefighting capability here. Federal funds cover the team’s costs, including for the replacement personnel at work in Harrisburg. Reed said once the base of operations is established in Mississippi, a supply line will be established between Harrisburg and the deployed team, as little or no materials and supplies will be available in the devastated areas wracked by Hurricane Katrina |
|