Missouri Task Force 1 deploys for historic flooding in Kentucky
COLUMBIA, Mo.
Missouri Task Force 1 deployed to Kentucky on Sunday following historic flooding in the region
A press release states that the team will deploy 80 members with six boats to help with a focus on water rescues. Four members of Task Force 1 arrived in Frankfurt, Kentucky, earlier Sunday after being activated by FEMA as an incident support team on Saturday.
The entire team departed a little after 4 p.m. Sunday and will arrive in Kentucky in the early morning on Monday. There, Task Force 1 will meet up with Indiana Task Force 1 and Ohio Task Force 1.
Once deployed, teams have around four hours to get ready before hitting the road.
"It takes 4 hours to get out the door because we got people that are driving 3 hours just to get here and it takes... once they get that phone call at a moment's notice, they've got to make that decision, they've got to get here," Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Fire Chief Gale Blomenkamp said.
At the scene, all task forces will be lead by local officials and help wherever they can.
"All emergencies start local and end local," Blomenkamp said. "Once the task force gets there, then they'll receive an assignment or a mission from that incident support team based on the locals needs."
Blomenkamp feels confident in Task Force 1's abilities.
"Missouri Task Force One deploys often for hurricanes and flooding events throughout the United States," Blomenkamp said. "The water rescue capabilities that we're taking with us and the abilities of our rescuers to be swift water and boat technicians is nothing new for what we do."
The Missouri Task Force 1 could be deployed for up to 14 days. Last year, Task Force 1 had its longest deployment for Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, which lasted 24 days.
"We make it happen and we've been doing this a lot of a lot of years and our men and women are going to go out there, do good work and represent the state of Missouri as best they can," Blomenkamp said.
