Offers Additional Disaster Response Assistance from Texas
AUSTIN Gov. Rick Perry today sent Texas Task Force One the states elite search and rescue team to provide assistance in the aftermath of Tuesdays earthquake in Haiti. He also sent a letter to President Barack Obama offering additional state disaster response resources to assist emergency response teams rescue workers and medical personnel.
Since the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is leading and coordinating the U.S. response effort to this disaster Texas must receive federal authorization before state resources can be deployed.
In the wake of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti Texas is standing by to deliver much needed assistance and supplies to the victims of this disaster" Gov. Perry said. Already this morning a team of brave men and women from Texas Task Force One departed for Haiti to provide vital search and rescue assistance. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims rescue personnel and medical workers in Haiti as they continue to cope with the aftermath of this quake."
Texas Task Force One is capable of responding to mass-casualty disasters and is trained and equipped to locate and rescue people trapped by collapsed structures in confined space in highly populated areas.
Additional state resources available for deployment include:
Medical Personnel:
- Medical Assessment and Coordination Team with 4 personnel from Texas A&M/University of Texas
- TxMAT (Texas Medical Assistance Team) - 2 teams 7 personnel each; one from TX A&M and one from Angel Staffing 1 physician 2 nurses 2 paramedics 1 respiratory care
- Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Command Assistance Team (1 team of 7 10 personnel) from DSHS central and regional staff; incident management team
- Community Assessment Public Emergency Response Team (CASPER) 3-5 person team to augment U.S. Public Health Service
- 40 shelter push packs support 100 people for three days with over-the-counter medications and other shelter supplies
- 40 shelter supply augmentation kits for infection control focused on preventing infectious disease including gloves masks sanitizers etc.
- 2 mortuary refrigerated trailers with body bags and supplies
- Two 500 bed shelters including tents
- 70 staff for Incident Management Team
- 60 kilowatt generators
- Medical staff (nurses and paramedics)
- Communications package for satellite and local radios
- Water purification equipment and personnel capable of providing drinking water for 65000 people.
- Two C-130s capable of transporting large quantities of equipment supplies and personnel
- 600 foot boat capable of housing responders
- Highly trained urban search and rescue team
- 80 personnel
- Search and rescue K-9 logistics communications and medical capabilities
- Highly trained personnel to augment Texas Task Force One
- Conduct search of small structures
