Los Angeles County Firefighters support firefighters deployed in Venezuela earthquake response

By Seamus Boseman Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. – After two earthquakes struck Venezuela last month, 73 firefighters from the Los Angeles County Urban Search and Rescue Team were quickly deployed to the area of ​​devastation to help recover and treat survivors of one of the country’s worst disasters.

The work was dangerous, sad and exhausting.

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But back in Pacoima, a little-known county crew working out of a warehouse two stories below the Whiteman Airport flight path was providing another vital service: supporting and informing American families about these firefighters.

Just like the search and rescue team in the disaster area, Pacoima’s three-member deployment support team was on duty 24 hours a day throughout the rescue mission.

“We’re in the deployment process like everyone else,” team leader Greg Short said. “So, when the team is deployed, daylight saving time is deployed, and we’re all working together.”

The two earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, and by the next evening, the Los Angeles County team of 73 crew members, six dog teams and 80,000 pounds of equipment were on their way to Marsh Air Force Base in Riverside. They flew out early the next morning.

The crew participated in the rescue of a 47-year-old man who was pulled from the rubble eight days after the earthquakes, raising the morale and morale of rescuers who had until then been primarily discovering human remains.

The team is part of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, a global organization that includes more than 90 countries.

At the facility in Pacoima, a conference room is set up to serve as a workspace for around-the-clock mission work and as a way to bridge the gap between families at home and department members in the field.

One of the team members, Rebecca Droz, Family Support Lead, deals with requests for help from families.

In some cases, requests can be simple, such as help fixing a clogged toilet or a garage door that won’t open. But sometimes Droz plays a more influential role, like making sure flowers are delivered to a woman on her birthday when her firefighter husband is away in Venezuela.

Another key service is keeping families informed of the status and progress of deployed rescue workers.

When firefighters are deployed, support staff host a conference call – every night at the same time – to update families on the disaster process and reassure them that search and rescue members are safe.

The calls often begin with a guest speaker and conclude with an evening prayer offered by a Los Angeles County Fire Department chaplain.

“I realized it was normal to feel proud and sad at the same time,” Angie Goodiel, vice president of a group called L.A. County Fire Wives, said in recent evening calls. “It’s okay to cheer for your husband, while also crying because you miss him.”

The conference calls are also an opportunity to remind families that the support team is there for everyone, not just those working in the field, Droz said.

“Just a friendly reminder, if you need anything at all while your loved ones are deployed, we are here for you 24 hours a day,” Droz said during the call. “So please let us know how we can support you while your families are in Venezuela.”

The team is also working to ensure that rescuers have tools, food, supplies and transportation while abroad, as well as supervising the journey home.

At the Pacoima warehouse, the three-member support team shares a room where they work, sleep and eat together. Beds fold out from cabinets around the room.

While working on a rescue mission in Venezuela, Short and other team members were recently running a smoker for burgers and baked potatoes in the kitchen below their conference room.

Short, a 25-year veteran of the county fire department, has worked on the search and rescue team for 23 years. His last overseas deployment was during a recovery mission after the 2017 Mexico City earthquake. Since then he has been leading the deployment support team in Pacoima.

In short, it is a unique experience to be on both sides of disaster response.

“My new role now gives me the perspective that I know what they are going through and I make sure I provide the best support at home so they can perform on the field,” Short said.

One rescue worker in Venezuela told The Times over a staccato call that rescuing the man found eight days after the earthquakes was so tedious it was like a game of Jenga, because any wrong move could cause rubble to collapse onto the victim and difference in the depth of the collapsed structure.

“In our world, it’s risk versus gain,” Battalion Commander Emmanuel Sambang said outside a tent at the team’s base camp in Venezuela. “We will risk a lot to get a lot.”

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