Kansas Task Force 1 Deployed to Texas for Flood Rescue Operations

Image courtesy Canva

On Saturday, July 12, Governor Laura Kelly announced the deployment of Kansas Task Force 1 to assist Texas communities affected by recent flooding.

According to the Governor’s Office, Kansas Task Force 1 includes two Type 3 swift-water search and rescue teams coordinated by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The team departed from Olathe on July 12 and will operate in Kerrville, located in Kerr County.

The deployment comes in response to a request from Texas through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a multistate mutual aid agreement that enables states to support each other during disasters.

The rescue teams, equipped with hard-bottom and inflatable boats, are made up of personnel from the Kansas State Fire Marshal, Chanute Fire Department, Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department, Olathe Fire Department, Salina Fire Department, Shawnee Fire Department, and Sedgwick County Fire District #1.

Their mission includes rescuing individuals and animals, providing basic medical care, and supporting both boat-based and helicopter-assisted water rescues. Kansas and the assisting departments will be reimbursed under the EMAC agreement.

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