Indiana Task Force 1 Deploys For Hurricane Search, Rescue Efforts

ACROSS INDIANA — Several years after responding to search and rescue efforts in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, members of Indiana Task Force 1 remember answering that call as they find themselves responding to a different one exactly 17 years later. According to Indiana USAR's Facebook page, several team members including some furry friends have made their way to North Carolina to prepare to assist with Hurricane Florence search and rescue efforts.

"As we left this morning for Hurricane Florence, the thought of deploying on September 11th and the memories of the brave souls lost gives us extra motivation to carry out our mission in their memory," a Sept. 11 post on the group's Facebook said.

Indiana Task Force 1 personnel in North Carolina include Structural Specialist Dave Cook and Logistics Specialists Mark Rapp Jr., have been activated for deployment with the FEMA Urban Search & Rescue Incident Support Team assigned to Hurricane Florence. Several Search and Rescue K9's, including Orion, Jake and Blitz, (pictured below) are also on board and ready to go.

Four members of Task Force 1 were activated for Hurricane Olivia response efforts Sept. 7, including Task Force 1 Program Manager Tom Neal, Task Force Leader Gerald George, Structural Specialist Scott Nacheman will deploy to Hawaii. According to the team's Facebook, USAR Specialist Bill Brown will deploy to their headquarters in Washington D.C., while Nacheman, Neal and George are assigned to the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Incident Support Team.

As of Sept. 10, team members have been working to create contingency plans ahead of Hurricane Olivia’s arrival, in addition to the help of FEMA Search and Rescue teams from the State Of Washington and California, who were also deployed to Hawaii.

RELATED: Gov. Murphy Updates NJ On Hurricane Florence's Potential Impact

"I can’t recall a time when so many storms have threatened the U.S. in such a short time frame," Brock Long, Administrator of FEMA, said in a Facebook post. "Between #Olivia, #Florence, and several other storms in both Atlantic and Pacific, we all must do everything we can to be ready.#PrepareNow."

More updates and information: www.ready.gov

Image via Patch