New York search and rescue team heads to Gulf Coast

Three years ago, FDNY Battalion Chief Joseph Downey was part of a search and rescue unit that worked in Biloxi, Miss., after Hurricane Katrina barreled into the Gulf Coast.

"Entire towns were wiped out," Downey recalled yesterday, as he and more than 30 New York City firefighters and police officers headed south again, this time in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav. Forecasters predicted Gustav would hit the Gulf Coast region tomorrow.

With news that Gustav was expected to swell into a Category 5 hurricane, Downey, 46, of West Islip, said members of his team, named Task Force 1, were preparing for the worst.

"If it hits as a Category 5, we're expecting a tremendous amount of damage," Downey said during a telephone interview as the team traveled near Roanoke, Va.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency activated the first responders on Friday, said Chris Gilbride, a spokesman for New York City's Office of Emergency Management.

"They're experts in search and rescue in confined spaces," Gilbride said.

When the team left yesterday, Gustav was intensifying toward a Category 5 hurricane - the highest - with maximum sustained winds above 155 mph and storm surges 18 feet above normal.

Downey said his team was "excited to go down and help" but also had to be patient. FEMA planned for Task Force 1 to be in Atlanta today and wait for further orders from there.

All the driving yesterday came after hours of work on Friday loading equipment, Downey said.

The storm could land anywhere from Mississippi to Texas.

New York's Task Force 1 is one of 28 search and rescue teams around the nation that can be activated by FEMA in an emergency. New York's team has two tractor-trailers filled with equipment and supplies to sustain the team for 72 hours, Gilbride said.

The team consists of 35 people and 10 vehicles, including the tractor-trailers.

FEMA established an Urban Search and Rescue System in 1989. New York's Task Force 1 became a member of FEMA's system in 1992. The unit is made up of New York City first responders prepared to deploy within six hours of notification.