L.A. County firefighters ready to deploy to Nepal

LOS ANGELES COUNTY >> A highly trained team of more than 70 Los Angeles County firefighters stood by at the ready Saturday, ready to depart for Nepal to aid in rescue efforts at a moments notice, officials said.
The Urban Search and Rescue team, known as Task Force II, is one of two in the nation qualified to go overseas to help in disasters such as the deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal, fire Capt. Roland Sprewell said. The other team of firefighters, known as Task Force 1, is based in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Firefighters were “chomping at the bit” to help victims in Nepal, but had not yet received orders to deploy from USAID, Sprewell said. Meanwhile, they readied their equipment.
“It looks like things are pretty much packed up,” Sprewell said. “That way, then it’s time to launch, all we have to do is go,” the captain said. Once the order is received, the firefighter-paramedics could be on a Nepal-bound airplane within hours.
“This is what these guys train for,” Sprewell said.

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