Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958
Sunny Mindel, (OEM) (212) 442-2031
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today announced that he ordered the deployment of New York City's Urban Search and Rescue Team to assist Puerto Rico in its effort to recover from the destructive effects of Hurricane Georges.
The Mayor said, "In addition to the generous financial contributions and donations of much needed non-perishable food and bottled-water, Puerto Rico desperately needs the expertise and assistance of the City's elite Urban Search and Rescue team to come back from the devastation of Hurricane Georges." The Mayor added, "As always, New Yorkers are living up to their proud tradition of being there for those in need."
The 63-person team will leave Kennedy Airport for Luis Muñoz Marín Airport in San Juan at 6:00 PM Wednesday night. The team is composed of 28 members of both New York City's Fire and Police Departments, 2 doctors and 4 paramedics from the N.Y.F.D.'s Emergency Medical Services and one member of the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management. The team's areas of expertise include technical rescue, hazardous material clean-up, electrical repair, heavy rigging and machinery operations, communications, strategic planning and medicine.
Hurricane Georges, the worst to hit the island since Hurricane San Felipe in 1928, made landfall in Puerto Rico on Monday and is been blamed for 6 deaths. Tearing across the island with winds estimated at 120 mph with gusts at 170 mph and pelting Puerto Rico with driving rains; the hurricane initially left the entire population without electricity and sent 24,000 people to shelters.
According to the Mayor, " We've helped Puerto Rico recover from 3 other hurricanes and respond to a 1996 massive gas explosion in Rio Piedras that killed 18 people. As in the past, Puerto Ricans know they can count on not only our prayers but our generosity and expertise as well."
At the request of Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Rosello, Deputy Mayor Ninfa Segarra and Director of the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management, Jerome M. Hauer are coordinating the Urban Search and Rescue relief efforts.