SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — As thousands continue to face the overwhelming aftermath of the Maui fires, a San Diego firefighter/paramedic from a special task force has been deployed to help.
“It’s always sad to see…watching devastation like that rip through anywhere with no signs,” said Battalion Chief Aide Barbat, San Diego Fire-Rescue Dept.
“The warning systems are in place. Sometimes they work, and other times they may not. It’s very devastating to see that.”
Battalion Chief Barbat is also a program manager for the San Diego Urban Search and Rescue FEMA team.
“On Sunday, we got a call for a request for one of our task force members to deploy out to Maui to assist with the wildfires that have happened out there,” he said.
Chief Barbat says firefighters/paramedics will be helping mobilize the teams coming in to help with search, rescue, and recovery efforts.
“He’s one of our logistics specialists so he’s going out there to support that cause,” he said. “Our FEMA urban search and rescue team, California task force 8 is one of eight teams here in California and 28 nationally.”
Chief Barbat explains that San Diego firefighters who are a part of that particular task force get requested to respond to disasters worldwide.
“From hurricanes to earthquakes to tornadoes, shuttle recovery…you name it. Our teams go out and do search and rescue efforts, disaster, and recovery, whatever is requested by that state, city, or county,” he said.
He says that the first responder could be there anywhere from seven to 21 days.
