On August 24, 2019, a large storm system began moving across the Atlantic, headed for the Caribbean. As it neared the Bahamas, it picked up speed and intensity, growing into Hurricane Dorian, a devastating category 5 storm. Stalling over the Bahamas, Hurricane Dorian wreaked havoc on the island nation for two days before moving north toward the East Coast of the United States.
Though Dorian devastated the Bahamas, it did not cause as much damage as anticipated in the Carolinas and moved northward past Nova Scotia. Thankfully, no search dogs were needed on the East Coast of the United States to search for survivors amidst the debris and flooding, though USA-1 is actively helping communities in the Bahamas affected by the storm.
We send our thanks to all the state and federal task forces from across the U.S. that deployed to the Eastern seaboard, ready to help where needed in the wake of this storm, including 12 SDF-trained search teams:
California Task Force 1
Robert Goertzen & Bailey (Los Angeles Fire)
California Task Force 3
California Task Force 7
California Task Force 8
New York Task Force 2
Adam Leckonby & Luka (New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Control)
Brian Girard & Keila (New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Control)
Brook Rowley & Echo (New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Control)
Greg Gould & Dax (New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Control)
Our thoughts are with all those affected by this hurricane and those who answered the call to help. Your dedication to helping others and service to your country inspire us all.
While we hope disasters like this never happen, we know the highly-trained task forces, including the canine teams, are well-prepared and ready to assist where needed.
Below is a timeline of the deployment of SDF-trained search teams for Hurricane Dorian:
SEPTEMBER 8, 2019
All SDF-trained search teams have returned home safely from the Hurricane Dorian deployment.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2019
Florida Task Force 1, including Search Team Marshia Hall & Lilah, have demobilized from their deployment in Florida and returned home. As always, they will continue to monitor the storm and will re-deploy if needed to help with disaster response efforts farther north.
USA-2 is canceled and does not deploy to the Bahamas, but USA-1 arrives safely and immediately begins assessing the needs of the communities affected by Hurricane Dorian.
SEPTEMBER 4, 2019
The Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA)/United States Agency for International Development (USAID) activates urban search and rescue task forces USA-1 and USA-2, based in Fairfax, Virginia, and Los Angeles, California, respectively. USA-2, from Los Angeles, includes four SDF-trained canine disaster search teams from Los Angeles County Fire:
Gary Durian & Frisco
Ryan Greenup & Koda
Manny Sampang & Eva
The teams prepare to board planes that will transport them to the Bahamas to assist communities completely devastated by Hurricane Dorian.
Later that night, additional state resources are deployed to the East Coast of the United States as Dorian approaches, including SDF's four New York-based teams as part of New York Task Force 2:
Adam Leckonby & Luka (New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Control)
Brian Girard & Keila (New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Control)
Brook Rowley & Echo (New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Control)
Greg Gould & Dax (New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Control)
SEPTEMBER 3, 2019
FEMA orders the deployment of West Coast task forces to the East Coast, in addition to the teams already deployed to Florida, including a total of 8 SDF-trained search teams:
California Task Force 1
California Task Force 7
California Task Force 8
Florida Task Force 1
Hurricane Dorian makes landfall and hovers over the Bahamas as a massive Category 5 storm, causing significant damage to the islands for two days.
AUGUST 26, 2019
State and federal resources are activated ahead of Tropical Storm Dorian to respond to Florida and Puerto Rico in preparation for flooding and wind damage.
