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Los Angeles County Fire Department USAR Team Prepares To Deploy To New Zealand
BRADLEY KLAPPER
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The United States dispatched a search-and-rescue team to New Zealand on Tuesday after a devastating earthquake killed dozens of people and left another 100 missing, and President Barack Obama said the U.S. stood ready to deploy more assistance.
FireRescue Magazine
CALIFORNIA TASK FORCE 2 MOBILIZES TO AID NEW ZEALAND EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
LOS ANGELES – February 22, 2011 – California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2), Los Angeles County Fire’s world-class Heavy Rescue Task Force, has been mobilized for deployment to New Zealand to help rescue and recover victims in Christchurch, the nation’s second largest city of nearly 400,000 residents, following a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake just before 1 p.m. local time that has killed 65 people.
Commanders of the 74-member team received the request from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and are currently staging at the Department’s USAR Facility in Pacoima.
California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2) is a specially-trained and equipped Urban Search and Rescue Task Force consisting of Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighters and paramedics rescue specialists, emergency room physicians, structural engineers, heavy equipment specialists, hazardous materials technicians, communications specialists, and logistics specialists. This unique technical rescue team responds with 55,000 pounds of prepackaged search and rescue tools and medical equipment to conduct around-the-clock search and rescue operations at domestic and international disasters, both natural and man-made.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department is one of the largest emergency service agencies in the world, providing fire protection and life safety services to more than 3.8 million residents and commercial business customers in the County’s 2,305-square-mile area, and around the globe when needed. For more information, visit the Department’s website at www.fire.lacounty.gov.
Obama offered his condolences to the people of New Zealand after their second major quake in six months, while Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton phoned New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully to express her sorrow over the tremor that toppled buildings in Christchurch and killed at least 65 people.
Administration officials confirmed that Americans participating in two high-level delegations to the country were unharmed. To assist the humanitarian response, the U.S. on Tuesday sent a team that includes search-and-rescue staff from the Los Angeles County fire department.
"On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I extend our deepest condolences to the people of New Zealand and to the families and friends of the victims in Christchurch," Obama said in a statement. "We stand ready to provide more assistance as needed."
A U.S. delegation of 43 government, business and community leaders was in Christchurch on Tuesday for a U.S.-New Zealand Partnership Forum meeting, and Kurt Campbell, the State Department's assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, participated.
The White House said Mariko Silver and Tim Manning, senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, respectively, also were in the city when the quake struck. They were unharmed.
Nine U.S. congressmen attending the meeting as part of a separate delegation led by Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Ill., left the city several hours before the quake and were in Wellington, U.S. officials and a spokesman for the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Tuesday. All members of the two delegations are safe, the department said.
The U.S.-New Zealand forum brings together government and business leaders from both countries to discuss ways to cooperate on trade and other regional issues. Others in attendance included former Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and his wife, Susan. An aide to Bayh, Beth Chrusciel of the Washington law firm McGuireWoods, said the Bayhs were fine and had left Christchurch.
Former senior State Department officials Richard Armitage and Christopher Hill also were at the forum.
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said officials from both countries were in a meeting discussing plans to broaden the partnership between the United States and New Zealand when the tremor occurred. He said the U.S. would provide whatever assistance New Zealand requires.
"Our long history of friendship and mutual support in times of need is an example of our enduring bond," he told reporters.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The United States dispatched a search-and-rescue team to New Zealand on Tuesday after a devastating earthquake killed dozens of people and left another 100 missing, and President Barack Obama said the U.S. stood ready to deploy more assistance.
FireRescue Magazine
CALIFORNIA TASK FORCE 2 MOBILIZES TO AID NEW ZEALAND EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
LOS ANGELES – February 22, 2011 – California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2), Los Angeles County Fire’s world-class Heavy Rescue Task Force, has been mobilized for deployment to New Zealand to help rescue and recover victims in Christchurch, the nation’s second largest city of nearly 400,000 residents, following a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake just before 1 p.m. local time that has killed 65 people.
Commanders of the 74-member team received the request from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and are currently staging at the Department’s USAR Facility in Pacoima.
California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2) is a specially-trained and equipped Urban Search and Rescue Task Force consisting of Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighters and paramedics rescue specialists, emergency room physicians, structural engineers, heavy equipment specialists, hazardous materials technicians, communications specialists, and logistics specialists. This unique technical rescue team responds with 55,000 pounds of prepackaged search and rescue tools and medical equipment to conduct around-the-clock search and rescue operations at domestic and international disasters, both natural and man-made.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department is one of the largest emergency service agencies in the world, providing fire protection and life safety services to more than 3.8 million residents and commercial business customers in the County’s 2,305-square-mile area, and around the globe when needed. For more information, visit the Department’s website at www.fire.lacounty.gov.
Obama offered his condolences to the people of New Zealand after their second major quake in six months, while Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton phoned New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully to express her sorrow over the tremor that toppled buildings in Christchurch and killed at least 65 people.
Administration officials confirmed that Americans participating in two high-level delegations to the country were unharmed. To assist the humanitarian response, the U.S. on Tuesday sent a team that includes search-and-rescue staff from the Los Angeles County fire department.
"On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I extend our deepest condolences to the people of New Zealand and to the families and friends of the victims in Christchurch," Obama said in a statement. "We stand ready to provide more assistance as needed."
A U.S. delegation of 43 government, business and community leaders was in Christchurch on Tuesday for a U.S.-New Zealand Partnership Forum meeting, and Kurt Campbell, the State Department's assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, participated.
The White House said Mariko Silver and Tim Manning, senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, respectively, also were in the city when the quake struck. They were unharmed.
Nine U.S. congressmen attending the meeting as part of a separate delegation led by Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Ill., left the city several hours before the quake and were in Wellington, U.S. officials and a spokesman for the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Tuesday. All members of the two delegations are safe, the department said.
The U.S.-New Zealand forum brings together government and business leaders from both countries to discuss ways to cooperate on trade and other regional issues. Others in attendance included former Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and his wife, Susan. An aide to Bayh, Beth Chrusciel of the Washington law firm McGuireWoods, said the Bayhs were fine and had left Christchurch.
Former senior State Department officials Richard Armitage and Christopher Hill also were at the forum.
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said officials from both countries were in a meeting discussing plans to broaden the partnership between the United States and New Zealand when the tremor occurred. He said the U.S. would provide whatever assistance New Zealand requires.
"Our long history of friendship and mutual support in times of need is an example of our enduring bond," he told reporters.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Julia Miller on
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Be safe guys. You are the best of the best at what you do. We are all proud back here that you got the call to go, especially with the events of this past week. Godspeed and God bless. May Our Lord keep you and those affected by this tragedy safe. Our church also has two mission centers over there as well. We are hoping that they are alright as well.
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