Dec. 24, 2012 – AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today announced that a 39-person Incident Management Team (IMT) is being deployed to New York to support continued recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy. 

The IMT is tasked with maintaining a field outreach program and commodity distribution system to residents in affected areas of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. Team members will ensure that residents have electricity, water and medical attention if needed, as well as access to city and federal assistance programs.

The IMT, composed of personnel from Texas A&M Forest Service and local first responders from across the state, also will be responsible for disseminating information about the public’s needs and concerns.

This is the third IMT from Texas that has traveled to New York to assist with the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort.

"Many weeks of work have helped begin the rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, but much remains to be done,” Gov. Perry said. “I’m proud that Texans continue to offer their skills and expertise to help restore some normalcy to the lives of people affected by this horrific storm, and our state continues to stand ready to offer any assistance required.”

Incident Management Teams are composed of personnel who are trained to manage or assist in the management of emergency response operations. An IMT provides a coordination and control infrastructure to manage a wide range of emergencies from human-caused to natural disasters. The size of an IMT is contingent on the severity of the incident and the needs of the affected jurisdiction. Texas currently has 18 IMTs regionally located around the state.

Follow the Texas A&M Forest Service blog to keep up with the IMT while they’re on assignment.

Contacts:
Justice Jones, Lone Star State Incident Management Team Public Information Officer
(936) 546-8042, jjones@tfs.tamu.edu

April Saginor, Lone Star State Incident Management Team Public Information Officer
(979) 255-0591, asaginor@tfs.tamu.edu