Menlo Park Fire Protection District Task Force headed to Georgia in advance of Hurricane Milton

California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3) sponsored by the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, working in conjunction with the California Governors Office of Emergency Services (Cal-OES) and on contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has been deployed to Maxwell, Georgia in advance of Hurricane Milton predicted to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday evening.

Ground assets departed at dawn this morning to start the 34 hour, 2,487 mile trip. Roughly half of the 46 member Team is staffing each vehicle with at least two personnel. The remaining Task Force 3 members will fly to Georgia Monday and Tuesday to meet the search and rescue equipment convoy on Wednesday.

Task Force Leader and Program Manager John Wurdinger, a Battalion Chief with Menlo Fire, is leading the Team. Additional fire personnel are representing Central County, Redwood City, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara City, Santa Clara County, South San Francisco Fire and Sunnyvale DPS, as well as civilian professionals like a Doctor, Structural Engineer, Dog Handler and Crane Rigger.

The Task Force is equipped as a Type III Hurricane Response Package. They are self contained with 60,000 pounds of technical rescue equipment complete with a full complement of water craft, ATV’s and specialized large forklift with a hydro extendion and crab features (Marine MMV).

Task Force 3 is based out of the City of East Palo Alto in a 28,000 foot warehouse. CA-TF3 is located in the Bay Area and on the Peninsula along the San Francisco Bay. It is one of eight California Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces and one of the 28 National Response Teams for the United States.

The Task Forces were established in 1990 and CA-TF3 has responded to floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, explosions, acts of terrorism and other specialized or technical Search, Rescue and Recovery operations across the Country.

CA-TF3 members pause for a group picture this morning before starting their drive across the United States in advance of Hurricane Milton – Photo Courtesy Harold Schapelhouman