KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasNevada's Task Force 1 Gets Re-Deployed

Nevada's Task Force 1 Gets Re-Deployed

Members of Nevada's Task Force One came home from the Gulf Coast on Friday, but today they are being re-deployed to assist with Hurricane Rita.

Nevada's Task Force One attended this morning's county commissioner's meeting to be recognized for their efforts in the Gulf Coast. They were supposed to share pictures and stories of their time helping in relief efforts there, but instead they made an announcement saying they had to get ready to hit the road.

Task Force One is now preparing to head back to the Gulf Coast. It's news that wasn't surprising to team members like Tom Moore. "When the pagers went off this morning all at the same time, we knew, we knew what it was about."

This time it's not a full deployment -- only 30 in the team will be going. Karl Lee, Task Force leader, said, "It's a smaller team than we took to Katrina in New Orleans.

For some of these firefighters, Metro officers, K-9 units, and structural engineers like Craig Smart this is the second time around in the gulf coast. Smart said, "I got some rest, saw my family, all that stuff. So, I'm not too tired."

Even though some of them just got back about a week ago, they'll leave for Dallas, Texas Wednesday to be in place just in case Hurricane Rita takes a cue from Hurricane Katrina.

Karl Lee added, "They're looking at where it's headed and where it's going to hit. Once we see where it hits and what the devastation will be, Dallas is where they'll stage everybody to go out."

Once the team is set they will start getting their equipment together. And since several of the 30 members went on the first Gulf Coast mission, they say that will help them better understand what they need to bring with them this time.

The Nevada Task Force One team will leave Wednesday around 12 p.m. and are set to arrive in Dallas Thursday at 8 p.m.

Contact Reporter Ashanti Blaize