Missouri Task Force One deploying to Texas ahead of Tropical Storm Beryl

BOONE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Task Force One is heading to Texas Saturday morning, ahead of Tropical Storm Beryl, according to a social media post from the Boone County Fire Protection District.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency activated the task force to deploy as a type three team, consisting of 37 members, plus 10 ground support personnel. According to the post, members were scheduled to deploy from the Boone County Fire Protection District Headquarters at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Members will meet Tennessee Task Force One in College Station, Texas, where they'll receive mission orders as needed, according to the post.

Gale Blomenkamp, Asissant Chief of Boone County Fire District reassures that they have the best of the best on board, with members coming from all across the state for this trip.

"But we're taking all of our equipment with an emphasis on water rescue capabilities. And so hence why you see all the boats, everybody in this deployment is water rescue certified," said Blomenkamp.

The task force also deployed three members as part of a FEMA incident support team. The three members will fill the rolls of operations sections chief, communications units leader and a hazmat specialist, the post states.

"So at this point, we have 47 members of Missouri Task Force One being deployed out of here right now as we speak. We also have three other members of the task force that have been deployed as part of the incident support team that will kind of oversee all the operations fort he task force is down in Texas," said Blomenkamp.

Members are expected to arrive in Texas early Sunday afternoon.

Typically, fire officials are deployed after a disaster has already occurred, but this deployment will involve a relatively easy 15-hour journey.

"They activated us early enough that we can leave today, stay overnight somewhere partway, and then finish up the trip tomorrow," said Blomenkamp. "They'll arrive in College Station, Texas, tomorrow afternoon and be ready to go to work when the hurricane makes landfall,"

Depending on the severity and impact of the hurricane, they could be there for up to two weeks.

"Our deployment can be upwards of two weeks. It's failry rare that we are out that long. But you know, depending on what this hurricane does, where it makes landfall, what kind of flooding issues they get, we could be there up to 14 days," said Blomenkamp.

The Associated Press reports Tropical Storm Beryl is expected to reach southern Texas by Sunday night, regaining hurricane status.

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