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FEMA Sends Emergency Response Team To Hawaii

SB Informer
Wednesday, October 18, 2006; 02:29 AM

The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) is sending an Emergency Response Team Advance ( ERT-A ) consisting of 75 personnel to Hawaii today in response to the earthquake that hit the state yesterday morning.

The ERT-A from FEMA's Region IX office in Oakland, CA is scheduled to depart from Oakland at 4:00 pm ( PDT ).

The ERT-A team includes FEMA operations personnel charged with the coordination of federal resources to support impacted communities. Other agencies on the team include, the U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Transportation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Energy, and Department of Health and Human Services. Power, transportation and other infrastructure specialists are also part of the team.

FEMA's Pacific Area Office has already been working with the Hawaii State Civil Defense to do rapid needs and preliminary damage assessments. The focus has been centered on an assessment of power generation and distribution, potable water systems ( pump stations ) and sewage treatment requirements on the western portion of the Big Island.

Since the earthquake, and with the receipt of a state request for federal assistance, FEMA is responding with the following:

Five Mobile Emergency Response Support personnel with communication gear ( including satellite gear ) are en-route to Hawaii.
Two National Disaster Medical Systems team have been placed on alert, ( CA-9 and NM-1 ) and the Hawaii-1 team ( activated through the state ) assisted in the movement and relocation of hospital patients on the island of Hawaii.
FEMA's Region IX Regional Response Coordination Center has been activated to a 24/7 operation status.
The Coast Guard through their air station at Barber's Point, Hawaii provided C-130 aircraft for transportation of hospital patients from the Big Island to Oahu.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, initiates mitigation activities and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA works closely with state and local emergency managers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.