Washington's Type 1 task force team, equipped for search and rescue, was deployed Sept. 11. | Unsplash
Washington's Type 1 task force team, equipped for search and rescue, was deployed Sept. 11. | Unsplash
The Type 1 Washington State Task Force-1 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue (WA-TF1) team has been activated to assist Oregon in search and rescue missions when they set out on the night of Sept. 11.
The Type 1 team, which is made up of 70 citizens from the city of Seattle, Pierce County and King County, could be out for up to 14 days, according to an emergency alert press release from Pierce County.
The team is trained in search and rescue missions; emergency medical care; reconnaissance; evaluation of hazardous materials and structures; stabilizing structures; and decontamination, according to the press release. The team is capable of being equipped and deployed within six hours.
In its entirety, the Type 1 team consists of over 210 members from a range of organizations that includes: Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, Seattle Fire Department, South King Fire and Rescue, Tacoma Fire Department, Valley Regional Fire Authority, Central Pierce Fire and Rescue, West Pierce Fire and Rescue, Bellevue Fire Department, Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, Shoreline Fire Department, Renton Fire Department, Tukwila Fire Department, Woodinville Fire Department, Gig Harbor Fire Department, Mercer Island Fire Department, Bothell Fire Department and Redmond Fire Department.
The last time the team was ordered to deploy was during Hurricane Lane and Olivia.
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