Nevadans aiding in search, rescue

Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005 | 11:36 a.m.

The 70 firefighters, rescue workers, doctors and structural engineers of Nevada TaskForce-1 began search and recovery operations in the New Orleans area early today.

The Las Vegas-based team left on Wednesday for the hurricane ravaged Gulf Coast but had been stopped in Dallas for final preparations.

Bob Leinbach, spokesman for the Clark County Fire Department, said the team arrived at its assignment outside of New Orleans at 8 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, which is 6 a.m. in Louisiana, and immediately began "boat water rescue operations."

"They are working with Coast Guard and EPA (personnel)," Leinbach said.

The team from the Las Vegas Valley includes Metro Police search-and-rescue specialists, who are handling four dogs trained to locate people trapped in debris and structural engineers trained to rescue survivors still buried in debris.

Also this morning, more than police officers from the Las Vegas Valley were finally headed for the Gulf Coast. That team includes 30 Metro Police officers, eight Henderson Police officers, eight North Las Vegas Police officers and a Las Vegas city marshal.

They had been on standby for days.

Metro Police Lt. Joe Ojeda said that the officers were waiting for Federal Emergency Management Agency "direction and invitation" to join the law enforcement efforts in the devastated areas of the Southeast.

The members of the team expect to spend three weeks on the Gulf Coast. In addition to law enforcement equipment, they are taking tents for shelter and enough food, water and other supplies to sustain them for the trip, Ojeda said.

Officer Bill Cassell, spokesman for Metro, said the officers are driving to the Gulf Coast in a convoy that had crossed Hoover Dam at about 10:30 a.m., he said.

Meanwhile, Southern Nevadans continue to contribute money for relief efforts.

The Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross has been "overwhelmed" by the generosity of Las Vegas residents, the organization said in a news released on Monday.

The local chapter is unable to accept food, clothing, furniture, blankets or toys because it cannot sort, package and ship the items to the affected area, the Red Cross said.