EPA-Based Rescue Task Force Heads To Hawaii Ahead Of Storm

MENLO PARK, CA — An urban search and rescue task force based in Menlo Park — but with members from across the Bay Area — was deployed Thursday to Oahu, Hawaii, ahead of Hurricane Lane, whose outer bands are expected to hit Maui and the big island of Hawaii early Thursday morning, fire and weather officials said.

As of 8:34 p.m., Hurricane Lane was a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph, National Weather Service meteorologist Will Pi said.

California Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 3 sent 36 members to Hawaii. Agencies with members deployed include:

• Menlo Park Fire Protection District
• Central San Mateo County Fire Department
• San Mateo Fire Department
• Mountain View Fire Department
• Redwood City Fire Department
• San Francisco Fire Department
• San Jose Fire Department
• Santa Clara City Fire Department
• Santa Clara County Fire Protection District
• Genentech

The local rescue workers headed out of San Francisco International airport via seven different flights, according to fire officials.

The U.S. has 28 task forces with eight in California and two in the Bay Area, fire officials said.

"The task forces are the Swiss Army knives of technical rescue operations and this configuration is specific to a smaller, more focused, water rescue capable unit that can operate in a dynamic field environment for 10 to 14 days," Menlo Park Fire Protection District Chief Harold Schapelhouman said in a statement.

The local search team was last deployed to Hawaii in 1991, for Hurrican Iniki, according to the chief.

"Last year, the team responded to three hurricanes and two in-state potential flooding events," Schapelhouman said. "Today, was the first time the Task Force Has deployed out of its new warehouse, now located in the City of East Palo Alto."

Pi said Hurricane Lane is expected to drop 15 to 20 inches of rain on Maui and the west side of Hawaii, while Oahu is expected to get 10 to 15 inches rain.

Nine military pallets loaded with more than 40,000 pounds of technical search and rescue equipment left with the task force members Thursday.

— Image courtesy Menlo Park Fire Protection District / Bay City News Service contributed to this report