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State sending more than 100 Search and Rescue personnel to assist in Dorian response

State Fire Marshal
Posted at 8:14 AM, Sep 02, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-02 11:34:16-04

Louisiana is sending more than 100 Urban Search and Rescue personnel and assets to Florida to assist in Hurricane Dorian response.

Three 35-member teams will leave on Monday, September 2 at noon from the State Fire Marshal Headquarters in Baton Rouge.

Each team of the USAR unit will be accompanied by at least two boats and a 21-person Incident Support Team.

Teams are represented by State Fire Marshal's Office and firefighters from Monroe, Shreveport, Pineville, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, St. George, Houma, Lafourche Parish, New Orleans, Tangipahoa Parish, Kentwood, Natalbany, Hammond, St. John Parish and Jefferson Parish.

Seven Lafayette firefighters were among the 100 firefighters who deployed on Monday morning to assist in Hurricane Dorian response.

According to the Lafayette Fire Department, the teams will convoy to Jacksonville, Florida for staging as they wait for further assignments. The team is expected to be deployed for up to 14 days.

New Orleans EMS and several K-9 teams will also deploy to Florida, according to the state.

Seven ambulance teams with a total of 35 units and 80 personnel arrived in Florida on Saturday to help prepare for any affects from Dorian.

On Sunday, September 1, Gov. John Bel Edwards approved the deployment of State Fire Marshal Staff and emergency service partners to assist with Dorian response in South Carolina.

A 10-member Incident Support Team left for the state on Sunday ahead of the storm.

According to GOSHEP, many of the search and rescue teams on stand-by in South Carolina were deployed to Louisiana to help with Hurricane Barry.

Read the latest on Hurricane Dorian: Complete Monday run down on Dorian