Beverly-Based MA Task Force 1 Deploys For Hurricane Ida Response

BEVERLY, MA — Eighty members of the Beverly-based Massachusetts Task Force 1 team were expected to arrive in Louisiana Monday night to aid in relief efforts after Hurricane Ida devastated parts of the coast west of New Orleans.

The team departed Beverly for the 24-hour drive on Sunday.

The response team includes structural collapse specialists, building engineers, swift water and standing water rescue personnel, EMTs, doctor and K9 handlers.

Task Force Planning Team Manager Tom Gatzunis said the team will work with Louisiana first responders on how they can best support rescue efforts when they arrive.

During the ride south, the team was tracking weather, downloading maps to their phones and more to be ready to assist as soon as they arrive.

"The training never stops, not even on the road," TF1 officials said.

The program, which is managed through Beverly's Emergency Management Agency on behalf of the federal government includes members from all New England states.

Last year, the Task Force 1 sent a 25-person team to search for survivors and survey charred buildings amid the Oregon wildfires.

The Task Force was also the first of its kind deployed in response to the 9-11 terrorist attacks in New York City.

Gatzunis said the Louisiana deployment is scheduled to last two weeks, but that the team could remain longer or return home sooner depending on the needs of the region.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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