Texas Task Force Team Deployed to Florida for Hurricane Michael

Seven Houston firefighters have been sent to Florida in preparation of Hurricane Michael. They are members of Texas Task Force 1, which has been activated by FEMA.

“Some of the Houston firefighters, in the last just year alone, they’ve gone to now Michael, Florence, Maria, Irma, and Harvey,” Texas Task Force 1 Training Manager Stephen Bjune told News 88.7. “As soon as landfall happens, we’ll go in and start helping those local responders, those local communities that have been impacted by major Hurricane Michael.”

Bjune said 70 team members, ten support personnel, six boats, and four search dogs arrived in Florida Tuesday night, along with specialized equipment. 

Members of Texas Task Force 1 are also responding to flooding needs in Texas.

“We’ve got boat rescue teams in central and north Texas. And we’ve got two search and rescue teams from Texas Task Force 1 and Texas Task Force 2, on their way to Junction, Texas, due to missing persons that were swept away by flood waters yesterday morning.”

More than 12 inches of rain in the area Sunday night caused the South Llano River to rise, which prompted air and water rescues.