Maryland search-and-rescue team heads to Maui, assists with wildfire recovery efforts
BALTIMORE -- The Maryland Department of Emergency Management is sending a search-and-rescue team to Hawaii to help the residents of Maui who lost their homes and livelihoods to wildfires.
The team, known as Maryland Task Force 1, will consist of 70 rescuers and 10 support personnel, according to Maryland officials.
Fifty of those members are Montgomery County firefighters.
They say they aren't sure what to prepare for, but once the plane lands, they'll be ready.
"We have been training for this day since the day you join the team," Battalion Chief Jason Blake said.
.@fema MD-TF1 equipment cache & >70 person team expected to arrive Maui, HI tomorrow (8/17) 2 ‘charter’ planes w/ 65 on one & others on 2nd aircraft w/ equipment. @mcfrs MD-TF1 joins US&R Task Forces from Indiana & California (#6) being deployed simultaneously to assist pic.twitter.com/avsz7yUWYi
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) August 16, 2023
Team members were expected to arrive on Thursday in two charger planes.
They will work in conjunction with other deployed teams, including two K9 rescue teams, according to Maryland officials.
"They don't know what to expect. So, they bring a variety of specialties. Structural engineers. Medical staff. Hazardous materials personnel," Blake said. "So, they're ready to address any concerns that they find."
Maryland Task Force 1, a highly-skilled unit, is one of the country's oldest teams to deploy members to assist in search and rescue efforts.
Their resume includes 9/11 and the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995.
"Once we get over there, the support team from FEMA who has been working with locals will give us some missions and we will complete them," Task Force leader Jason Light said.
Those missions could include assisting with infrastructure, handing out waters or risk assessment on structures.
"It's really the unknown," Blake said. "We don't know what we're going to see until we get there."
The team says they plan on setting up tents and operating out of them for an extended period of time.
Maryland residents who want to support people in Maui should consider taking the following precautions, state authorities said.
- Cash Donations: Reputable nonprofit organizations active in Hawai'i recommend cash donations, which can be used to procure specific goods and services needed for relief.
- Avoid Physical Donations: The volume of donated goods has overwhelmed some groups. Cash donations can be more efficiently directed to where they are needed most.
- Respect Access Restrictions: Individuals are urged not to "self-deploy" to the disaster-impacted areas. Authorities are managing access to ensure safety and protection of culturally important items.