Hurricane Laura: Phoenix Fire Team Heads To Louisiana To Help

PHOENIX — A team of specialized Phoenix firefighters took off for Louisiana Wednesday night to administer aid as Hurricane Laura made landfall along the southern coast.

45 members of Arizona Task Force 1, a Federal Emergency Management Agency search and rescue team comprised of Phoenix Fire Department personnel, deployed to help after the Category 4 storm ravaged Louisiana. The team also includes two search and rescue dogs, according to the fire department.

Urban Search & Rescue AZ-TF1 departing Phoenix Fire Special Operations just before midnight on their way to Louisiana. Our team will be a part of the #fema response for #HurricaneLaura This Type 3 team has 45 members including 2 search & rescue dogs. pic.twitter.com/JUxfw28woI
— Phoenix Fire Dept. (@PHXFire) August" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/PHXFire/st... 27, 2020

The Phoenix Fire Department said all fire department personnel had to pass a health check before departing, as the U.S. is still in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The team left just before midnight Wednesday.

"The team will be utilized for urban search and water rescue needs in response to this powerful storm," the fire department wrote on Facebook. It also noted that the team will likely adapt or change locations as the storm continues to shift.

It is currently unknown how long the team will be in Louisiana.

Hurricane Laura has rolled through Louisiana, killing four people. As of Thursday afternoon, the storm is now in southern Arkansas and is expected to be downgraded to a tropical storm.