The whole world is watching Hurricane Sandy, and now we're watching our local Orange County heroes too.
Orange County search and rescue teams have responded to the post-tropical cyclone, with 75 individuals prepared to help at a moment's notice. These individuals have specialty training in disaster assistance, medical aid and search and rescue activities. Our heroes are highly experienced, many of which previously assisted with Hurricanes Katrina and Ivan.
Three members of Orange County search-and-rescue teams were already requested by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and have been deployed to the East Coast for duty. There, they will assist families and help restore the communities that are being negatively affected by Hurricane Sandy.
The California National Guard has also provided assistance, deploying several aircraft and helicopters to assist the efforts. Two Pararescue teams were sent to North Carolina yesterday and will now be helping Hurricane Sandy victims as well.
From across the nation, our feelings are mixed. Our hearts go out to the families affected by Hurricane Sandy, as we continue to be grateful and thankful for the wonderful people in our lives. We're proud to be part of such a fantastic community and sincerely thank our local S&R teams for their ongoing courage and dedication to our nation.
Stay safe.
