On January 28, Fairfax County’s 12 volunteer fire and rescue departments welcomed home three members who had deployed to Haiti to support search and rescue efforts following the magnitude 7.0 earthquake on January 12. Paul Bertovich, John Morrison, and Steve Willey deployed as members of Virginia Task Force 1 (VA-TF1), an elite search and rescue team sponsored by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. They were joined by Paul Torpey, a member of the McLean Volunteer Fire Department, who supported the deployment from the VA-TF1 support center in Fairfax County.

VA-TF1 is specially trained team of career and volunteer personnel with expertise in the rescue of victims from collapsed structures following a natural or man-made catastrophic event. Through agreements with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Agency for International Development, VA-TF1 sends teams to assist recovery efforts following disasters throughout the U.S. and the world. Recognized as one of the world’s premier disaster response teams, VA-TF1 is comprised of emergency managers and planners, physicians, and paramedics, with specialty in the fields of structural engineering, heavy rigging, collapse rescue, logistics, hazardous materials, communications, and canine and technical search efforts. Several of VA-TF1’s members hail from the ranks of Fairfax County’s 12 volunteer fire and rescue departments.

Mr. Bertovich is a member of the Fair Oaks Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. In Haiti, he served as a Safety Officer with VA-TF1. Mr. Morrison, the Chief of the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, served as a Planning Manager. Mr. Torpey was a mobilization leader for the VA-TF1 deployment and provided technical expertise and support to the team from the VA-TF1 support center. Mr. Willey is a member of the Fair Oaks Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. He provided structural engineering expertise during the Haiti operation. In addition to these four volunteers who are members of VA-TF1, Jim Jordan of the Centreville Volunteer Fire Department provided canteen support for the team’s deployment.

In Haiti, VA-TF1 rescued 16 individuals from the rubble, out of a total of 133 rescued by VA-TF1 and search and rescue teams from Florida, Los Angeles, New York, Virginia Beach, and dozens of foreign countries. The team also conducted structural assessments and infrastructure stabilization activities, organized tent and equipment donations to support the establishment of child-friendly spaces in health facilities, and responded to small humanitarian missions in and around the Port-au-Prince. Despite food, water, and fuel shortages; communication and transportation difficulties; and several serious aftershocks, the team remained motivated and highly active throughout their two-week deployment. One member sustained minor injuries while examining a potential work site, and one search and rescue canine suffered minor dehydration.

The Fairfax County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association and its members join the residents of Haiti and citizens the world over in thanking Messrs. Bertovich, Morrison, Torpey, and Willey and the other members of VA-TF1 for their devoted service.

More information about VA-TF1 can be found on the team’s website: www.vatf1.org

A Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs news release on VA-TF1’s return can be found here: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/2010/vatf1-return-from-haiti.htm

The team’s return was also covered by the Washington Post (including a video): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/01/28/VI2010012804569.html?hpid=artslot

For more information, email pio@fcvfra.org or contact the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department’s Volunteer Liaison at 703-246-2295.