The Kansas Fire Marshal announced that personnel from the Salina Fire Department are part of a Kansas response team deployed to assist with flooding in Texas.
Kansas Task Force 1 (KS-TF1) was activated on July 12 to support disaster operations in Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas, following heavy rains and flooding. On July 13, 15 personnel departed from Olathe, Kansas. Participating agencies include the Kansas Fire Marshal, Chanute Fire Department, Kansas City Kansas Fire Department, City of Olathe Fire Department, Salina Fire Department, Shawnee Kansas Fire Department, and Sedgwick County Fire District 1.
The deployment was initiated through an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) request from Texas to the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. EMAC is a mutual aid agreement that allows states to share resources during disasters for response and recovery.
KS-TF1 comprises two Type 3 swift-water search and rescue teams equipped with hard-bottom inflatable boats. The teams' tasks include conducting search and rescue operations, providing basic life support medical care, transporting individuals and animals to points for further evacuation by air or land, performing shore-based and boat-based water rescues, conducting animal rescues, and supporting helicopter and urban search and rescue in water environments.
