Starke County EMA Director Ted Bombagetti has announced that the District Two Task Force has been placed on “Alert” status for possible deployment in support of southern Indiana. Bombagetti says southern Indiana is expecting five to nine inches of rain over the weekend from Hurricane Isaac, and he says they are ready to deploy should flooding occur.
The task force has a swift water rescue and tactical rescue team within the unit, and Bombagetti says these teams are ready to be mobile when called. He says the teams can be on the road in a matter of hours, and they’ve been preparing for events such as this for several months.
An exercise to prepare for an emergency situation similar to Hurricane Isaac was recently held in Pulaski County, which included several other task forces throughout Indiana. The teams learned how to set up camps and provide support to those in need of shelter, food, and other necessities, as well as deploy other entities that may be needed.
Another drill is expected to be organized in the fall or early winter, and officials say it will probably be held in the St. Joseph County area, which is one of a few counties District Two covers. Pulaski, Starke, Fulton and Marshall counties are also within the district.
