The Unsung Heroes Of FEMA

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226 – April, 2024

By Amy Fernandez

The wildfires that devastated Maui last August provided incredibly graphic documentation of an unfolding catastrophe. And dogs were front and center of the story–on both sides of the equation. Heartbreaking images of residents fleeing their homes clutching pets reinforced the notion of “most prized possession.” Frequently, the speed and ferocity of the blaze permitted no time to think or plan as they escaped the encroaching deathtrap. Those heartbreaking scenes were rivaled by the pleas of desperate owners hoping to find their missing animals.

As the rest of the world watched in disbelief, continuous reporting focused on the enormous risks owners took to save their animals. Thousands of stray animals were turned over to shelters that became packed to capacity as volunteers worked frantically to ID them, treat burns and other injuries, and match animals with owners.

As we tried to process that nightmare the search and rescue efforts began. Within a day, public access to West Maui became impossible although there were still plenty of lives at stake. Attempts to reopen the highway failed for multiple reasons and much of Lahaina was ultimately sealed off. It was simply too dangerous to venture in there until the fire was somewhat contained.

Almost immediately, FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams took over the spotlight. Public service demos highlight the skills of these human/canine partners but those events also make it look easy, and it is not. It is impossible to completely prepare for unknowable situations. First off, the heat of the fires had literally melted metal and rock. And that is what the FEMA k9s confronted when they arrived. The 1,000 degree surface temps had cooled down to about 150-200 degrees, but fires continued to flare up unpredictably and smolder for weeks. Days later, many surfaces remained dangerously hot. That added additional obstacles to the task of navigating unstable heaps of rubble, downed power lines and collapsing structures. It was deadly work.

Click here to read the complete article
226 – April, 2024

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Posted by AnthonyA on Apr 21 2024. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.