Local Firefighters Saving Lives At Hurricane Florence with CATF5

(Foothill Ranch, California) — With their own children fast asleep warm and safe in their beds, local firefighters geared up, left home and reported for duty at the fire station late Monday night.

For these Southern California Firefighters, the call for this incident wasn’t in response to the short list of usual suspects: the Cleveland or Angeles National Forests, the dreaded Ortega Highway, or even the I-5.

This call came from our Nation for a “fire-ground” almost 3,000 Miles away. And while embers are traditionally the enemy to be feared in these parts, the force of nature to reckon with this time would ironically enough be water.

TASK FORCE STATUS: DEPLOYED

Late Monday night, Orange County Fire Authority tweeted the signal that the coming weeks for local Southern California firefighters on CA-TA-5 teams will mean life or death for people in need of their help. Their own lives at risk given the unpredictable mix of Mother Nature, weather-crippled infrastructure and fate.

”CA-TF5 Orange County Urban Search & Rescue Task Force has been activated and will be sending personnel and equipment trained in swift water rescue to Virginia in preparation for Hurricane Florence,” OCFA Captain PIO Tony Bommarito tweeted at 11:01 p.m. on 9/10/18.

By midnight, those firefighters, as members of one of FEMA’s California Task Force 5 US&R Teams, were deployed.

By Tuesday September 11th, another CA-TF-5 Team received word of deployment.

”CA-TF5 Orange County Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) is deploying another 16 person team specializing in water rescue to Raleigh, NC in preparation for Hurricane Florence. Another OC team was sent out last night at midnight. #ktla #ocregister #telemundo, ” OCFA Tweeted 9/11/18, 8:13 p.m.

Orange County resident Marilyn Akahoshi tweeted a reply, always steadfast in her unwavering support of Orange County firefighters 365-days a year: “Wow. Safe travels to this CA-TF5 Orange County Urban Search & Rescue team! Thank you for your amazing service #BeSafe Thoughts are with ALL of you!! ”

On Wednesday 9/12/18 at 7:20 A.M., OCFA tweeted, “CA Task Force 5 sent a second team of personnel specializing in water rescue to North Carolina last night in perparation for Hurricane Florence.”

https://ktla.com/2018/09/11/o-c-fire-personnel-trained-in-swift-water-rescue-deploy-to-north-carolina-ahead-of-hurricane-florence/

On 9/12/18 at 12:59 pm, @OCFA_PIO tweeted, “CA-Task Force-5 Orange County water rescue teams are making good progress to get to their staging areas. The first team has reached Carlise, AR and the second team is in Gallup,NM. Both teams should be ready to work when the storm reaches land. #ktla #knbc #kcal9.”

Irvine-based Team Kids @teamkids tweeted at 8:30 A.M. on 9/12:18: “Thanks @OCFAChief Fennessey and @OCFA_PIO for deploying to protect the people in North Carolina. Our 1st Team Kids project, Team Kids LemonAID, began when your swift water rescue team deployed to New Orleans after Katrina. Thank you for all you do. Stay safe. You are appreciated.”

Then today, an update on our CATF5 firefighters now on the East Coast: “CA Task Force 5 has been deployed to Virginia and North Carolina to assist with rescue operations and more during the hurricanes. They have reached their destinations and preparing for assignments. #FEMA @ocfirefighters #HurricaneFlorence.”

@OCFA_PIO On 9/14/18, 4:13 PM

More updates will be provided in the hours ahead. Follow @OCFA_PIO for the latest on CATF5.

CATF-5 US&R Teams At #Hurricane Florence Urban Search & Rescue (US&R)

“California Task Force 5 (CATF-5) is one of 28 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Forces strategically located throughout the United States and specifically one of eight Task Forces located in California. These Task Forces are comprised of highly trained responders of a wide variety of skills and disciplines and capable of responding all over the Continental United States and beyond,” according to California Task Force 5 (Orange County Urban Search & Rescue) homepage http://catf5.org.

“California Task Force 5 is able to respond to any and all types of disasters, natural and manmade. These disasters include hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and terrorist attacks. In order to complete the mission and be self-sufficient, the 80-member Task Force contains many disciplines such as Search, Rescue, Logistics, Planning, Medical, Communications, Hazardous Materials and Safety.”

”The Task Force maintains a constant state of readiness and is capable of responding by air or ground within 4-6 hours. This includes the team of 80 personnel and canines as well as all equipment needed to conduct Search and Rescue operations and remain self-sufficient for a minimum of 72 hours,” according to http://catf5.org.

CATF-5’s HEADQUARTERS IN FOOTHILL RANCH (OCFA FIRE STATION 54)

“California Task Force 5 is represented by various public safety agencies in Orange County. The headquarters is located at Orange County Fire Authority Fire Station 54 in Foothill Ranch. The US&R Warehouse, which is still being retro-fitted and used for storage and training, is located just a block away and is specifically set up for rapid deployment and mobilization,” according to http://catf5.org.

“California Task Force 5 (CA TF-5) is one of 28 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Forces and one of eight Task Forces in California that respond as a FEMA or California OES resource during National, State, or Regional emergencies such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, terror attacks or any other natural or manmade disasters,” according to http://catf5.org.

“All FEMA US&R Task Forces are made up of highly trained and highly skilled responders from a wide variety of disciplines such as Search Specialists, Rescue Specialists, Hazardous Materials Specialists, Medical Specialists, Heavy Riggers, Structural Engineers, and Logisticians. CA TF-5 draws these specialists from several public safety organizations including: Orange County Fire Authority (sponsoring agency); Anaheim Fire Department; Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; Long Beach Fire Department; Montebello Fire Department and Orange City Fire Department.

Links:

@OCFA_PIO Twitter

National Hurricane Center -

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+shtml/152637.shtml?mltoa34#contents

California Task Force 5 -

http://catf5.org

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Photos Courtesy Copyright CATF5, Orange County Fire Authority