Two members of Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services are heading to Texas to learn from response teams on the ground.
Deputy chief Brian Godlonton and special operations training officer team leader Kirk Heaven were set to arrive there on an invitation from Texas Task Force 1, the state’s search and rescue team, on Tuesday.
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The pair were expected to embed with the “command staff that’s overseeing the massive number of response nuts on the ground in Texas,” Vancouver Fire and Rescue Capt. Jonathan Gormick explained.
Vancouver has a search and rescue team similar to the one in Texas — it’s known as the Canada Task Force 1 (CANTF-1), or the Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) task force.
The task force hasn’t been invited to assist in rescue efforts in Texas, but to learn from what they see on the ground.
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The two men will be there to “witness the coordination of over 12,000 personnel, and return to Vancouver with lessons and feedback to better prepare for future missions,” said a city news release on Tuesday.
The pair are expected to remain in Texas for at least a couple of weeks to help with Gormick says he expects the pair will stay in Texas for at least a of couple weeks helping with Hurricane Harvey.