Demobilization Information
47 Team Members and their 5 Search and Rescue Dogs received demobilization orders today to return to their Home Base here in the San Francisco Bay Area. The multi-Fire agency, multi-disciplined, highly specialized Urban Search and Rescue Team sponsored by the Menlo Park Fire Protection District and based in the City of East Palo Alto will be leaving Charlotte in the next 24 hours, as open air flights present themselves.
Two members of Task Force 3 followed Hurricane Dorian from Puerto Rico to Florida and finally to Charlotte, North Carolina, where most of the California Teams were staged.
Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said “everyone is relieved that the highly anticipated impact to the East Coast of the United States was much less dramatic than the models, forecasts and media reports had predicted. Sadly, several of our Teams that also conduct International Response and Relief are operating in the Bahamas and we know from their first hand reports that the damage and life loss there is both catastrophic and devastating in its scope and scale. Unfortunately, the long term effects of Hurricane Dorian will be felt in those places for many decades to come!”
The FEMA Type 3 Hurricane Response Task Force arrived in North Carolina last Wednesday while their equipment arrived on Friday, just before the Hurricane hit. “Moving people is easier than moving 45,000 pounds of equipment to North Carolina and then quickly back to California via commercial air carrier again. Logistically, that’s our biggest challenge right now and we are leaving a group of six people behind to insure it’s shipment. Hurricane Season isn’t over yet, everyday is a potential Earthquake day in California and the anniversary of the Terrorist Attacks of 9/11 is right around the corner.” Fire Chief Schapelhouman said.
Pictured below, the members of Task Force 3 take a Team Photograph in front of the NASCAR Hall of Fame - Photo Credit Task Force 3
