San Ramon Valley Fire sends 3 to Hurricane Ike: 
CATF-4 Task Force
 

  Sunday, September 21

The SRV FEMA team is back from Texas.  Stay tuned for photos. 

 Saturday  13th, 11:00 am Firefighter/Medic Shane Smith states the 35 member team with search dogs has been activated and is going to Galveston. 

 GALVESTON, Texas - Howling ashore with 110 mph winds, Hurricane Ike ravaged the Texas coast Saturday, flooding thousands of homes and businesses, shattering windows in Houston's skyscrapers and knocking out power to millions of people.

Ike has weakened to a tropical storm over eastern Texas, but winds remain near 60 mph and heavy rains and tornadoes are still a threat.


The National Hurricane Center in Miami says the storm's center is just southeast of Palestine, Texas, and moving toward the north near 16 mph.

Ike made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane over Galveston at 3:10 a.m. EDT. Roads in that part of the state are still impassable and emergency crews are just starting to assess the damage.

 SRV Fire Captain Jerry Fouts

SRV Firefighter Shane Smith

SRV Firefighter Jeff Ho

Friday, September 12: Firefighter/Medic Shane Smith states the 35 member team with search dogs is being activated as Hurricane Ike approaches the Texas coast.  They are still in Houston.   The team's equipment consists of one 18 wheeler big rig, 2 box trucks, and 2 all terrain vehicles.  The storm appears to coming their way and they are ready for full deployment.
 

Wednesday September 3rd Task Force-4 is being retained in the Gulf Region. They are rehabing Task Force vehicles and equipment today. Management teams are confirming whether or not they are needed for any operational missions. At this point, it is projected that the Task Force will be out at least another 4 days.

Sunday, August 31 The Type III team reported SFO to catch a flight to Houston, due to arrive at 4:46 p.m. The first part of the team, which left on Friday, is in Houston staging and soon to meet up with the Task Force members who left this morning. The entire team will await further orders from FEMA. Two other Task Forces have been activated, for a total of five California Task Forces.

Saturday, August 30: The 19 person Task Force ground transportation team, which left yesterday afternoon, is now in New Mexico. Having driven through the night, arrangements are being made for hotel accomodations so that the team can get a night's rest. The team will arrive in Houston tomorrow; estimated time of arrival TBA.

Friday: August 29: Shortly before 0800 hours this morning, CATF-4 received its FEMA Activation Orders for deployment to Hurricane Gustav. Ironically, it has been three years to the date and almost to the minute, that CATF-4 was deployed to Hurricane Katrina. The Blue Team is first up during the month of August.
One Type III Team was activated. The first group to leave were 19 Task Force members who are driving the cache equipment to Houston, Texas where they will stage.


 

SRV Fire's USAR Team 4

SRV Fire's Fema USAR Team 4 training photos

Technical Rope Rescue Drill: Sponsored by San Ramon Valley Fire
 

                    Alameda County               San Ramon Valley                Fremont

California Task Force Four (CATF-4), operates out of Alameda County and is sponsored by the Oakland Fire Department. CATF-4 is made up of volunteers from (alphabetical order) Alameda County Fire, American Medical Response, Berkeley Fire, Camp Parks Fire, Fremont Fire, Lawrence Livermore Lab Fire, Livermore/Pleasanton Fire, Marin County Fire, Oakland Fire, San Ramon Valley Fire, Santa Rosa Fire, Stockton Fire & Civillian Specialists.

Fema team training: twice a month

SRV Fire's USAR Team 4

 

 
Photos by SRV Fire Captain Tom Andersen  

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