The Daily News of Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES — As Hurricane Irene barreled toward the U.S. on Friday, Los Angeles firefighters — including two stationed in the San Fernando Valley — were headed for the East Coast to help communities recover from the expected devastation.
FEMA called up city Fire Department Capt. Craig White, of Station 88 in Sherman Oaks; apparatus operator Randy Opperman from Station 87 in Granada Hills; and Battalion Chief Ed Bushman, stationed at City Hall, to work in a Virginia command center, officials said.
“This is a great opportunity for us to contribute to the country,” said Capt. Steve Hissong, who commands the Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue Team.
The trio are veterans of disasters — including Hurricane Katrina and the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Hissong said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has 28 task forces nationwide, including eight in California. The city Fire Department has 240 members on its FEMA task force, which is divided into three teams.
A typical deployment lasts 14 days, he said.
FEMA also called up personnel from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, including Battalion Chief Larry Collins, officials said.
Collins, stationed in Huntington Park, was part of the team that pulled nine survivors from the rubble of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti in 2010.
“It’s rewarding to know that the services of the L.A. County Fire Department can reach out so far to assist people in their time of need,” county Fire Capt. Dan Cantrell said.
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