FEMA Updates Search, Find And Secure Activities For Columbia Emergency [4:00 p.m. Release]
Release Date: February 3, 2003
Release Number: HQ-03-032
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Washington, DC -- Deputy Director Michael D. Brown of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced continued search, find, and secure activities in response to the loss of the space shuttle Columbia.
"FEMA continues to work with federal, state and local agencies responding to the loss of Columbia by coordinating federal resources needed to protect the public, assist the investigation, and minimize the impact on local communities," Brown said. "There is a tremendous effort underway to rapidly identify and map debris fields and deploy trained teams to collect the debris as quickly as possible."
Brown also announced the following:
- A Joint Information Center has been established at the Lufkin Civic Center in Lufkin, Texas, to coordinate public information for the agencies involved in the response effort.
- The State of Texas reports debris on the ground in 33 counties.
- To date, approximately 12,000 pieces of debris have been collected.
- A 25-person Disaster Mortuary Team has been deployed to Lufkin.
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, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) have assembled there to coordinate response activities.
- The FBI, EPA, DOD, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the General Services Administration 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.
- Disaster Field Offices (DFO) are in the process of being established in Lufkin, at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station, and at the Barksdale Air Force Base. 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 will serve as the investigative center and storage location.
- Special Mobile Emergency Response Systems (MERS) communications equipment has been deployed to Lufkin.
- The U.S. Coast Guard is mobilizing and deploying 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 in Lufkin to assist with debris recovery operations. These three teams are specially 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.
- 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 shuttle.
- In Louisiana, the Louisiana State Police, the FBI and National Guard Civil Support Teams (CST) are assisting with debris collection.
- The FBI is deploying Evidence Recovery Team (ERT) 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.
- 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.
Last Modified: Friday, 11-Apr-2003 13:36:26