Nearly one hundred Louisiana emergency personnel are deploying to the Carolinas as part of four teams to help with Hurricane Florence support missions. The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) is coordinating the assistance through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) system.  

The teams currently being deployed include a four-person, emergency operations center support team from the New Orleans Fire Department assisting North Carolina.  The Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal is providing a swift water rescue team and an urban search and rescue team to South Carolina.  Each team includes 36 personnel.  The office is also providing an 18-person, incident support team. The teams are scheduled to start arriving in the region Tuesday.

“In addition to the teams currently being deployed, other state agencies are also working to fill additional requests from states in Florence’s path. Louisiana is often called upon to help other states during an emergency because of our experience in dealing with disasters and because of our ability to efficiently manage EMAC requests,” said GOHSEP Director Jim Waskom. “We are monitoring several tropical threats as we reach the peak of hurricane season. We urge everyone to stay aware of these threats for any potential impact to Louisiana. Keep your emergency supply kits stocked and your emergency plans up to date.”