N.J. search and rescue crews deploy to Texas

New Jersey search and rescue crews are deploying to Texas to assist with Hurricane Harvey operations, Gov. Chris Christie announced.

NJ Task Force 1, the state’s urban search and rescue team, will arrive in Katy, Texas on Monday. The team is comprised of search, rescue, planning, logistics, hazmat, and medical professionals.

Katy is in the Houston metropolitan area, when catastrophic flooding has been ongoing since Saturday.

“During Superstorm Sandy, emergency and law enforcement response contingents from around the country came to our aid. New Jersey stands ready to assist Texas with their search and rescue response to the destruction and devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey,” Christie said in a statement.

The team operates under the auspices of the New Jersey State Police and New Jersey Office of Emergency Management.

The response vehicles contain state-of-the-art search and rescue equipment, and crews are self-sufficient for the first 72 hours with base camp, supplies, and communications in order not to impact local resources, according to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management.