To get the facts straight, the firefighters and civilian personnel who returned home to the Oakland Airport on Monday are members of California Task Force 4 (CA-TF4), based out of Oakland. CA-TF4 sent a full Type 1 team, consisting of over 70 people. In addition to the water rescue teams, the Oakland team also included search, rescue, logistics and planning personnel, as well as search dogs, doctors, paramedics, and structures engineers. CA-TF4's remaining personnel and equipment are expected to arrive back in the Bay area on Wed. evening.

A special thanks to members of Task Force 3 for their continued support and expertise in helping people in emergencies and disasters like Harvey. We are fortunate to have a special resource like this in our local community, which also can be deployed to other areas around the state and country in case of need.

PRESSRELEASE

Menlo Park Fire Protection District 170 Middlefield Rd Menlo Park, CA 94025 650-688-8400 Fax: 650-323-9129
For Immediate Release
Date: September 7, 2016
Contact: Harold Schapelhouman, Fire Chief
Phone: (650)380-1006 Cellular

Bay Area Water Rescue Team
Returning from Hurricane Harvey

Others prepare to leave for Hurricane Irma

Menlo Park – California Task Force 3:

Fifteen members of the California Water Rescue Team known as Task Force 3, based out of Menlo Park, are scheduled to return Thursday, September 7 in the afternoon to the Teams warehouse located at 1376 Willow Road. Rex Ianson, the 16th member of the team who worked as part of an overhead management team, flew home Tuesday night.

The Firefighters, representing the Menlo Park Fire District, Palo Alto, Central San Mateo County, San Mateo, San Jose and South San Francisco Fire Departments were deployed over ten days ago. They were assigned to water based search and rescue operations in the rural areas around the City of Wharton, Texas and to then to the City itself. The Task Force was one of the only Federal Teams to use Drones for search operations. They have been on the road driving home for three days.

The combined Team of Bay Area Firefighters was one of the most experienced and seasoned Water Rescue Teams in the Nation to deploy. In total, they have a combined 316 years of firefighting, water and technical rescue experience at multiple large and small emergencies and disasters.

This was the first time all 28 National Urban Search and Rescue FEMA Teams have been deployed since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It was also the first time the new Water Rescue Teams were all used since their addition to the Task Force Equipment and Operational Profile since their creation after Hurricane Katrina.


A number of FEMA Rescue Teams were pre-positioned in Texas in advance of Hurricane Harvey, more were deployed when it hit as a Category 4 Hurricane and others, like California Task Force 3, were deployed once the full extent if the damage and projected rain fall were better known.

Once the Team arrives in Menlo Park, they will be welcomed by their Fire Chiefs and CA-TF3 US&R Staff. They will then be demobilized and sent home to rest.

Please see the Team member bios below.

Readiness:
Fire Chief Schapelhouman said “We are now second up in rotation for the Western Region of the United States and ready to respond as either a 70 person (Type 1), 48 person (Type 3) or 14 person (Water Rescue Component) Federal Rescue Task Force. All of the Water Rescue Equipment will be checked on Friday and readied for response. We have already notified other Team members who are prepared to respond at a moment’s notice if we are requested to either drive, or fly, anywhere in the Country or US Territories.”

Hurricane Irma:
Carl Kustin, a former veteran and retired Battalion Chief with the San Mateo Fire Department is a founding member of Task Force 3. He has been on the Task Force for 27 years and responded to the Northridge Earthquake, Hurricane Iniki, Oklahoma City Bombing, World Trade Center Collapse, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Matthew last year.

He will be responding to Hurricane Irma as part of an advance FEMA Incident Support Team and serving as a Division Group Supervisor that coordinates field operations with local first responders and FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces. He will be flying into Tallahassee Florida Thursday morning.

Hurricane Hector - Water Rescue Team Members – Who are they?

Position - FEMA Incident Management Team – Forward Observer:
Rex Ianson – 48 Years of combined service as a veteran Menlo Park Firefighter (retired) and Fire Board Member (recently retired August 31, 2017). Rex is also a retired Navy Veteran who served during the Vietnam War. He is a founding member of Task Force 3 and a Search Team Manager who specializes in large area search. He has responded to the Northridge Earthquake, Oklahoma City Bombing, World Trade Center Collapse and Hurricane Katrina to name a few of his other deployments. He teaches search techniques all over the country and internationally.

Position – Menlo Park Fire District Agency Representative:
Jim Stevens – 35 year veteran Fire District Division Chief in charge of Emergency Field Operations. Founding member of Task Force 3 and a former Medical Unit Leader who currently serves as one of six Task Force Leaders for the Team. He has responded to Hurricane Iniki, Gustav and the World Trade Center Collapse.

Position – Water Rescue Team Leader:
Seth Johnson – 14 year Menlo Park Fire Captain. He is the Water Rescue Team Coordinator for Task Force 3. He is also a Rescue Team Leader and instructor who has specialized training in boat and helicopter rescue operations.

Position – Water Rescue Squad Leader:
Paulo Brito – 16 year San Jose Fire Engineer assigned to US&R 34A. He is a Rescue Team Manager with the Task Force and has been involved with multiple water rescues including the recent flooding event in San Jose who specialized in boat operations.

Position – Water Rescue Squad Leader:
Kevin Kopyscianski – 27 year veteran Fire Captain with Central County Fire Department (Burlingame, Hillsborough and Millbrae). He has been on the Task Force for 23 years serving as a Rescue Squad Officer and responded to Hurricane Katrina as part of the Type 1 Team. He is a Heavy Rescue Specialist and boat operator.

Position – Logistics and Drone Pilot:
Tony Eggimann – 16 year Menlo Park Fire Captain. He is a Logistics Specialist and founding member of the Fire Districts UAS/Drone Program and pilot who recently flew night operations at the South Fork Fire in Yosemite National Park, water search and rescue operations in the Bay and Orville Dam Water Rescue Response. He responded to Hurricane Katrina as part of the State OES Water Rescue Program where the 14 person Team rescued over 1000 people during their 16 day deployment starting on day 2 of the incident.

Position – Medical Specialist:
Jimmy Anderson – 11 year South San Francisco Fire Department Captain/Paramedic. He has been a Medical Specialist with the Task Force for 3 years and is also a Tactical Medic with Tehama County Sheriff’s Office, boat operator and river/flood rescue specialist.

Position – Medical Specialist:
Darrel Poblete – 13 year San Jose Fire Department Engineer/Paramedic on Engine 2A. He is also a boat operator and Medical Specialist for the Task Force.

Position – Boat Operator:
Mark Zamparelli – 12 year Menlo Park Fire District Engineer. He is a boat operator and helicopter rescue operations specialist. He is the Fire District’s Water Rescue Program Manager and oversees daily water rescue operations for the Bay and State OES Swift Water Rescue Team responsible for two Air Boats, two Power Water Craft, two IRB’s and an RHI V-hull boat. He has extensive Bay water rescue and training experience.

Position – Boat Operator:
Jeff Riley – 22 years veteran San Jose Fire Department Captain assigned to US&R 34A. He is a boat operator and has been involved with multiple swift water and flood water rescues including during the flooding operations in downtown San Jose. He is a Rescue Specialist with the Task Force.

Position – Water Rescue Specialist:
Chris Mosko – 14 years Palo Alto Fire Department Apparatus Operator on Truck 66. He is a boat operator, class A truck driver and Rescue Specialist with the Task Force. He was deployed to the 2014 National Preparedness Exercise in Alaska.

Position – Water Rescue Specialist:
Robert Adams – 24 years veteran San Jose Fire Department Captain on Truck 1A. He is a boat operator and a Rescue Specialist with the Task Force.

Position – Water Rescue Specialist:
Corey Lingafeldt – 16 years San Mateo Fire Department Engineer/Paramedic. He is boat operator and Hazardous Materials Specialist. He serves as a Rescue Specialist with the Task Force and has responded to Hurricanes Ike and Gustav.

Position – Water Rescue Specialist:
Shawn Tacklind – 22 years veteran San Jose Fire Department Captain Truck 1A. He is a boat operator, safety officer and Rescue Squad Officer with the Task Force. He was involved with multiple water rescues in down town San Jose during the recent flooding.

Position – Water Rescue Specialist and Drone Pilot:
Mike Stahl – 9 years Menlo Park Fire District Engineer. He is a boat operator and UAS/Drone Pilot with the Fire District and a Rescue Specialist with the Task Force.

Position – Water Rescue Specialist:
Arthur Belton – 17 years San Jose Fire Department Battalion Chief 13B. He is a boat operator and Rescue Specialist with the Task Force. He was a commanding officer during the recent flooding of downtown San Jose and other water rescue operations.

And now an update:

"Fifteen Members of the Task Forces Water Rescue Team returned Thursday afternoon after a 10 day deployment to Texas for Hurricane Harvey. They were met by family, fellow Team members and each participating agencies Fire Chief who thanked them for their time and efforts.

Within thirty minutes of their return, a request from FEMA to deploy a full 80 person Urban Search and Rescue Task Force was received and accepted for an immediate need deployment to Florida for Hurricane Irma.

Rather than going home, members of the Water Rescue Team immediately assisted in equipment cleaning and rehabilitation, despite the fact that the majority of them were not being deployed. What normally would take days to clean, service, check and repair was instead done in hours."
Chief Schapelhouman
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So - after 11 days away from home mucking around in toxic water and yet they are ready to go out the door again.

We are privileged to firefighters like this serving our community.

Our thanks to both them and to their families.

Update:

"The convoy hit the road at 2am headed to Atlanta, Georgia with 30 personnel. We do not know when the other 50 personnel will be flying out yet."