JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- New Jersey State Police Task Force 1 team members deployed out of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to support disaster relief efforts in Texas and Louisiana following Hurricane Harvey, Aug. 29, 2017.
An initial team from Task Force 1 departed for Texas on Aug. 27. Another 80 members of the task force remain on standby, waiting for the call.
“When one community floods, the communities around them flood so they can’t rely on their natural neighbors to help them out,” said James Bastan, Task Force 1 leader and training manager. “Help has to come from further away – and we’re that help.”
Located inside of Hangar 4 on the Lakehurst side of the installation, the Task Force 1 team is equipped with emergency supplies like water bottles, non-perishable food, medical stretchers and boats in the event of rapid deployment.
“We have assets in this hangar which we can mobilize at a moment’s notice to provide disaster relief across the country,” said Patrick Gorman, a New Jersey State Police captain. “Today we’re checking our equipment for further deployments to either Louisiana or Texas.”
Task Force 1 is an emergency response unit led by New Jersey State Police and made up of volunteer first responders from across New Jersey. The force has had the opportunity to serve during operations including the dire response to the Sept.11 terrorist attacks and the long process of helping New Jersey recover and rebuild after Hurricane Sandy.
Upon review of their support of large scale disaster relief operations, Task Force 1 was recently designated a Federal Emergency Management Agency. With this new designation, Task Force 1 is responsible for assisting disaster relief across the country, not just in New Jersey.
“Now at any moment the call is going to come in - we have four hours from the time the phone rings to the time we need to have wheels rolling out the door,” said Bastan. “We have already sent a mission-ready package for water rescue.”
While other federal and state agencies continue to provide assistance to victims of Harvey, Task Force 1 is waiting on the call to send additional help.
“We train all the time hoping it’s never going to happen, said Gorman. “But when it does, this is when all the training and exercise pays off.”