AFD firefighters in Louisiana to help with Sally

The Austin Fire Department says that some of its firefighters were sent to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to help with soon-to-be Hurricane Sally's expected landfall there.

The AFD firefighters are part of Texas A&M Task Force 1 which Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy at the request of the Federal Emergency Agency (FEMA).

Texas A&M Task Force 1 has deployed a Type 1 urban search-and-rescue team consisting of 80 personnel, 6 boats, and 4 canines. IT functions as one of the 28 federal teams under FEMA’s National Urban Search and Rescue System and is one of two statewide search and rescue teams under the direction of the TDEM.

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"As our friends in Louisiana prepare for Tropical Storm Sally, the State of Texas is ready to assist in response and recovery efforts," said Governor Abbott in a news release. "I thank the members of Texas A&M Task Force 1 who are acting swiftly to help our neighbors in Louisiana, and I ask all Texans to pray for those in the path of this storm. Our neighbors in Louisiana were there for us during Hurricane Harvey, and we will be here for them as Tropical Storm Sally nears their shores." 

Meantime the Austin Fire Department has also sent out personnel to assist with wildfires in California. 16 personnel deployed late last week and all are expected to begin work today, officials say, on the Creek Fire, located east of Fresno and just 10% contained.

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