Governor Henry McMaster has authorized the deployment of South Carolina Task Force 1 (SC-TF1) to Texas to assist with flood response and recovery efforts. The state’s Urban Search and Rescue team will send a Canine (K-9) Search and Rescue Mission Ready Package, which includes five personnel and two human remains detection K-9s.
This deployment follows a request from Texas Governor Greg Abbott during a phone call with Governor McMaster. The mission is coordinated through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a national mutual aid system for state-to-state disaster assistance.
“Team South Carolina stands ready to offer any support we can,” said Governor McMaster. “In some of our toughest moments, the people of Texas were there for us. Now, it’s our duty to return that support and stand by our friends in their time of need.”
The mission is supported by South Carolina Foothills Search & Rescue, a K-9 Search and Rescue organization based in Greenville, South Carolina. All personnel and K-9s have completed rigorous training and certification to meet national standards for disaster response.
“The deployment of SC-TF1 reflects South Carolina’s continued commitment to supporting disaster response efforts nationwide when called upon,” stated Chad Beam, Assistant Chief of Emergency Response for South Carolina State Fire. “The team remains in close coordination with national and state emergency management officials, standing ready to assist wherever needed.”
Kim Stenson, Director of the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, highlighted the state’s ongoing dedication to aiding national disaster response efforts.
“South Carolina has a strong history of supporting our fellow states through EMAC,” said Director Stenson. “Over the years, we’ve helped coordinate assistance for incidents in Kentucky, Florida, California, Alaska, and now Texas. Our emergency response community stands ready and capable of answering the call when help is needed.”
For more information on SC-Task Force 1: https://statefire.llr.sc.gov/ertf/pdf/USandR.pdf
