Travis Maher, a 46-year-old Texas firefighter, knew the drill on Monday when he was told to prepare for possible waterborne rescues and assess damages to homes caused by Hurricane Laura.
FILE PHOTO: Men stand on top of a damaged home after Hurricane Laura passed through Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S., August 27, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
Texas Task Force was formed after the 1995 Oklahoma City federal building bombing and since has been joined by other groups, including Team Rubicon, organized by military veterans, and ad hoc groups like the Cajun Navy, which grew out of calls for boat owners to help during 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. The rescue groups are welcomed by the best known disaster aid group, American Red Cross, and some including Texas Task Force have become FEMA affiliates.
“We are essentially an extra layer of protection to state and local officials...but there are a lot of volunteer groups as well who do their own thing,” he said.
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