Published on January 10, 2018

The Menlo Park Fire Protection District’s 14 person Swift Water Rescue Team and equipment is ready to go. Team members were rostered and equipment loaded and prepared for immediate deployment on Monday afternoon. Members of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services State network of Rescue Teams were last deployed to three Hurricanes and the very real threat of failure of the Orville Dam and flooding along Coyote Creek in San Jose last year.

The Woodside and Menlo Park Fire Protection District’s also prepared for a joint six person Heavy Rescue response with special vehicles that carry mostly technical rescue equipment that could be used to help with people trapped in collapsed structures, debris or extricated from vehicles caught in mud or debris flows.

The Menlo Park Fire District’s UAS/Drone Team members are also prepared to fly impacted areas, day or night and in rain and winds to expedite victim discovery, situational awareness and to help improve Firefighter and Rescue personnel’s overall safety and awareness. The group last flew missions in Santa Rosa after the devastating fires, during the Hurricanes, specifically in Texas and at night during devastating fires in Yosemite National Park that threatened historic landmarks and the small community of Wowona.

Fire Chief Schapelhouman said “we’re leaning forward and ready to go at a moment’s notice locally, North, South or anywhere in the State if CAL-OES receives a request for technical assistance. This is nothing new for our first responders who serve on our State and Federal Teams that traveled all over the Country last year to fires, floods and Hurricanes. I was hoping the State would get a break in the New Year but it looks like that’s not going to happen with extreme weather events, vulnerability of burned over fire areas and communities downhill or near streams and rivers to mud slides and debris flows”.

Photographs – Please Credit Menlo Fire

Fire Captain Tony Eggimann and Fire/Paramedic Matt Menard holding a drone, members of the Fire District’s UAS/Drone Team prepare, to fly a DJI Drone over the damaged trash guards at West Bayshore and San Franciquito Creek in the City East Palo Alto during record rainfall and potential flooding in early 2017.

Menlo Park Firefighters who are part of California Task Force 3 Swift Water Rescue Team, preparing for response.