LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada Task Force 1 has been in Lahaina for three days, helping those impacted by the Maui fires.
KTNV anchor Abel Garcia spoke with the Clark County fire chief about the team's effectiveness in disasters.
As the fires ravaged the city of Lahaina, the city now looks like a warzone.
Nevada's Task Force 1 is now on the ground, helping wherever possible.
HOW TO HELP: How Las Vegas residents can help those impacted by devastating wildfires in Maui
Clark County Fire Chief John Steinbeck says the updates he's getting from the team are heartbreaking.
"They go out all day long, and they are searching for buildings that haven't been searched yet," he said. "They are finding people who are deceased."
Steinbeck says Clark County sent a team of 50 people and two search and recovery K-9s to Maui.
"I send critical thinkers that are problem solvers that can go," he said. "Their priority is to fulfill whatever need the local agency needs. "
The team consists of firefighters, medical personnel from nearly all Southern Nevada fire departments, and civilians. They train monthly for disaster relief specializing in search, rescue, medicine, logistics and planning.
"We teach them how to do everything from breaking and breaching into heavy concrete to moving large slabs to lighter searches through wood frames," Steinbeck said.
Steinbeck said these disasters come as no surprise and expects his agency to be prepared to help. At one point, he was part of the Nevada Task Force 1, deployed to 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
"It's surreal and overwhelming, and each one is different," Steinbeck said Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst he's witnessed. "We got boats and learned how to do rescues, how to gain entry into rooftops from boats, and how to search for people in Katrina."
He says each disaster is not only a learning experience for the task force but one where the team gets to serve a community in need.
"I am very proud of them. You would think that I have to push to get people to go. I have to fight people off from going," he said.
The team is expected to be there for 10 to 14 days, depending on the need. He says always after returning home, mental health services will be available to help the team cope with what they have witnessed.
