Missouri Task Force 1 continues rescue, recovery efforts in Texas

Missouri Task Force 1 was back at the operations center in Katy, Texas Tuesday night.

Earlier in the day, the team got more than 60 people to safety.

While deployed on an emergency mission, Missouri Task Force 1 members have to be ready for anything.

“They basically give us an address that you’re gonna go support this fire chief or go to this fire station and wherever it is, we’re going to go,” said Safety Officer Terry Cassil.

Under the directions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, the team is sent to where it is strategically most needed.

In the four days since arriving in Texas, the task force has deployed to at least five different places in the storm-stricken southeast area.

“They’re different locations, completely different towns. The first two places we went to they were very small towns. Of course, today we were in Houston, much more of a metro area,” said Cassil.

On Tuesday, the team performed water rescues in the flood-soaked suburbs of northeast Houston, but their next location is not yet known. Despite this, Cassil says they will be ready.

“Until we’re not deployed, until we’re demobilized and they send us home, whatever the task at hand it, that’s what we’ll do,” said Cassil.