California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3) the Fire District is deploying a 14 person water Rescue Team that has been asked to respond to a designated staging area in Sacramento

14 Menlo Park Firefighters, one of nine State sponsored Swift Water Rescue Teams, leave for the Inland Valley where they will be strategically pre-staged between Merced and Yuba City for potential water rescues in advance of this next winter storm.

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Photograph - Credit Peter Mootz - Action Photography

BREAKING NEWS - FEBRUARY 19, 2017 - 6.30 pm

Mnlo Park Fire District

The Governors Office of Emergency Services (CAL-OES) is activating State sponsored California Swift Water Rescue Teams and is pre-staging them in Central Valley locations for potential water rescues.

The Menlo Park Fire Protection District is one of the States original Swift Water Rescue Teams. Known as California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3) the Fire District is deploying a 14 person water Rescue Team that has been asked to respond to a designated staging area in Sacramento.

A week ago the Team was deployed to Oroville for a potential dam failure with presumed down range water rescues. Fortunately that did not occur, and the team returned home.

Menlo Park Fire District Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said "the already saturated inland valley with their fragile levee systems are of significant concern, so that Governors Office of Emergency Services (State OES) is strategically pre-positioning 9 Swift Water Rescue Teams between Merced and Yuba City, in advance of this next storm event. Given the projections for a potential of 10 inches of rain fall over 20 hours within those areas and recent flooding, it's a smart tactical move".

Several members of the Fire Districts deployed Team are veterans of Hurricane Katrina and some were involved with water rescues in Yuba City 20 years ago when a levee failed there. All are specially trained in Swift Water Rescue, boat operations and working with and from Helicopters.

"We always hold back additional Water Craft like our Air Boat and Rigid Hull Inflatable so we maintain local capability and we re-staffing effected Fire Stations now so there is no impact to our local response and the service delivery to our residents", the Chief said.

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