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1014 Members Arrive in Nepal to Rescue Earthquake Victims
Los Angeles County Fire Department’s California Task Force 2- known internationally as USA-2 - Medium Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team arrived in Nepal on Tuesday, April 28th, to assist with rescue and recovery efforts following Saturday’s magnitude 7.8 earthquake.
The 57-member team departed March Air Reserve Base on Sunday night.
The USAR team is part of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) that was deployed upon the request of Nepal’s government. The DART comprises nearly 130 people, including 14 USAID disaster experts, the Department’s 57-person USAR team and a 57-person USAR team from Fairfax, Virginia. The team also includes 12 canines - six from L.A. County.
The team is made up of specialized personnel, and includes all necessary equipment to make live rescues from collapsed structures and confined spaces. The U.S. is currently prioritizing search and rescue activities to help locate survivors trapped in the rubble and the provision of emergency shelter materials to help displaced families.
USA-2 is expected to be deployed for 7 to 10 days and will be conducting search and rescue operations under the direction of the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART).
USA-2 is one of only two American search and rescue teams that partners with USAID/OFDA to deploy internationally. It is once again a great source of pride for our organization to not only have this highly specialized response capability, but to be called into duty by USAID/OFDA to help save lives and property beyond our borders.
While DART USAR teams are engaged in lifesaving operations, USAID disaster experts are assessing damage in earthquake-affected areas and coordinating response efforts with the government of Nepal and international humanitarian partners on the ground.
In the coming days, USAID will be airlifting emergency shelter materials to Nepal from its warehouse in Dubai to help an estimated 30,000 - 35,000 people.
The UN estimates that the earthquake killed 3,350 people, injured more than 6,800 others, and affected 8 million people across 39 of Nepal’s 75 districts as of April 27. These figures are expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.
We will keep you posted regarding any major developments.
Thank you to the LA County Fire Department for the above information.
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