FEMA Continues To Coordinate Actions To Assist State And Local Authorities In Search, Find And Secure Mission For Columbia Debris
Release Date: February 3, 2003
Release Number: HQ-03-030
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Washington, DC -- Deputy Director Michael D. Brown of the Federal Emergency Management Agency today announced continued search, find, and secure activities in response to the loss of the space shuttle Columbia.
"FEMA's mission is to work with local, state, and federal officials to rapidly identify Columbia debris and dispatch trained personnel to document and collect it to protect the public, assist the investigation, and minimize the impact on local communities," Brown said. "Federal resources are being put use to map the debris fields and specially-trained teams are being deployed to those sites to begin collecting the debris as quickly as possible."
Brown also announced the following new response activities:
- The U.S. Coast Guard is mobilizing and employing five members of its Atlantic Strike Team and seven members of its Pacific Strike team, as well as six additional members of its Gulf Strike Team to augment the 13 members of the Gulf Strike Team already in place. These three teams are trained and equipped to respond to incidents involving oil or hazardous chemical spills.
- FEMA is sending an emergency response management team to Lufkin to arrive today.
- FEMA is establishing a third Disaster Field Office at the Fort Worth
Naval Air Station, in addition to the DFOs at Lufkin, Texas, and the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
- Water samples in Louisiana are being collected and analyzed by the Environmental Protection Agency's Region VI to ensure water purity.
- EPA is working with schools, county officials and state officials
to coordinate the pickup of debris that has been identified as coming from the Columbia space craft.
- In Louisiana, the Louisiana State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation and National Guard Civil Support Teams (CST) are assisting with debris collection.
- The FBI is deploying Evidence Recovery Team members to work with search teams dispatched to sites where debris is reported. The ERT members will ensure collection activities are consistent at every debris site.
- The Texas National Guard has provided 477 members to help expedite the retrieval of debris.
Additionally, FEMA has coordinated the following activities since the emergency was declared:
- An Interagency Initial Operating Facility has been established at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. Representatives from NASA, FEMA, FBI, EPA and the U.S. Department of Defense have assembled there to coordinate response activities.
- FBI, EPA, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the General Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Defense have assigned liaisons to FEMA's Regional Operations Center in Denton, TX. FEMA has assigned state liaisons to the Texas State Emergency Operations Center in Austin, Texas and the State Command Post in Lufkin, TX.
- Disaster Field Offices (DFO) are in the process of being established in Lufkin, Texas, at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station, and at the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. The Lufkin DFO will serve as the primary operational DFO for all operations, including staging assets and deploying field teams for search, find and secure operations. Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana will serve as the investigative center and storage location.
- Special Mobile Emergency Response Systems (MERS) communications equipment has been deployed to Lufkin, Texas.
- EPA has mobilized Airborne Spectral Photo-Imaging of Environmental Contaminants Technology (ASPECT) aircraft to help locate debris using infrared sensors to detect hazardous chemicals and deployed the Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer Unit to provide mobile analytical support.
- The U.S. Coast Guard has deployed members of its Gulf Strike Team, based in Mobile, Alabama, to Lufkin to assist with debris recovery operations there. One of three located throughout the country, Gulf Strike Team personnel are specially trained and equipped to respond to incidents involving oil or hazardous chemical spills.
Last Modified: Friday, 11-Apr-2003 13:35:35