Governor Newsom Deploys Search & Rescue Team To Hawaii
Sacramento, CA– Governor Gavin Newsom has taken action in response to the deadly wildfires in Hawaii by deploying resources and urban search and rescue personnel to aid in emergency operations within the most heavily affected areas.
Governor Newsom, in collaboration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has instructed the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to dispatch 11 members from California’s Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Forces. Their primary focus will be on assisting in recovery operations and conducting search efforts to locate survivors. Additionally, state personnel from Cal OES with expertise in urban search and rescue and mass fatality management have been dispatched to Hawaii.
Governor Newsom conveyed, “California stands in solidarity with the people of Maui and the entire Hawaiian population in the face of these devastating wildfires that have resulted in loss of life and extensive damage, including the historic town of Lāhainā. Californians have firsthand experience with the destructive impact of climate change-fueled wildfires, which have the potential to erase entire communities and centuries of invaluable history and heritage. Our state is providing resources to assist our Pacific neighbors during this challenging period.”
This deployment is an extension of California’s broad-ranging initiatives to provide aid to other states during times of crisis. In the current year, California has already dispatched firefighters, specialists in disaster recovery, and other personnel to Oregon, New Mexico, and Montana. In 2021, California sent fire engines to assist Oregon during the Bootleg Fire and deployed Specialized Urban Search and Rescue Resources teams to Florida following the collapse of the Surfside condo building.
