Fairfax Virginia Task Force 1 Deployed to Haiti Earthquake

Virginia Task Force 1 (VATF-1), Fairfax County’s urban search and rescue team was activated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Tuesday evening, January 12, 2010, to the earthquake near Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The task force is composed of 72 personnel, 6 search and rescue canines, search and technical rescue personnel, physicians, paramedics, structural engineers, other support personnel, and approximately 48 tons of rescue equipment and supplies. The team is self-sustaining for approximately 14 days.

The task force left from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department’s Academy at 8:15 a.m., January 13, 2010. The team will depart from Dulles International Airport late morning today.

The task force deployed to the Haitian town of Petionville, near the capital of Port-au-Prince for a school collapse in November of 2008. The task force has also deployed nationally to the Oklahoma City Bombing, The Pentagon, Hurricanes Katrina and Isabel. Additionally, they have deployed internationally to the bombing in Kenya, earthquakes in Turkey, Taiwan, and Iran.

Additionally, as a part of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, the task force maintains constant operational readiness, and is a local resource for residents of Fairfax County.

**Note: A recent video of Virginia Task Force 1 in action can be seen on Fairfax County Cable Channel 16 and can be found under the heading “Fire and Rescue Digest.”

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Posted by admin on Jan 13 2010. Filed under Fairfax County. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.