2 From Mansfield Fire Assisting In Puerto Rico Search And Rescue

MANSFIELD, MA — Two members of the Mansfield Fire Department have gone to Puerto Rico to assist the hurricane-ravaged territory.

Lt. Gerry McNamara and Medical Director Dr. Mike Valkanas have both been deployed to San Juan with the Urban Search and Rescue Massachusetts Task Force 1 FEMA Team. They will be working with several other federal assets to assist in the search and rescue mission in Puerto Rico, according to the Mansfield Fire Department.

In addition to his work with the Mansfield Fire Department, Valkanas works in the emergency room at Norwood Hospital.

The Massachusetts team is one of six FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task forces that have been deployed to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico and are working in tandem with numerous federal partners to rescue and render aid to distressed survivors in the region. Crews arrived Sunday and expect to expand their work as areas become accessible.

FEMA, working in coordination with federal partners, provided more than 1.5-million meals, 1.1-million liters of water, nearly 300 infant and toddler kits, and nearly 12,000 emergency roofing kits to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico for distribution to the public since Hurricane Maria’s landfall.

Information from FEMA was used in this story.

Image via Mansfield Fire Department