Fifty-seven crew members from the Los Angeles city and county fire departments were being deployed to the Southeast Tuesday to help with the response to Hurricane Dorian as the storm neared the U.S. mainland.
The city firefighters are part of California Task Force 1, a team of highly-trained urban search and rescue specialists requested by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The unit includes dogs and medical personnel, according to Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The team, led by LAFD Assistant Chief Tim Ernst, is expected to arrive in the southeast on Wednesday.
A 16-member team from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, part of California Task Force 2, is also being deployed to the area at the request of FEMA. California Task Force 2 also consists of urban search and rescue specialists.
Dorian was off the coast of Florida on Tuesday after striking the Bahamas.
