October 4, 2022 | Austin, Texas | Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott today directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy additional state resources to support Florida's response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

"The State of Texas will continue supporting Floridians in need as their state recovers from the significant damage caused by Hurricane Ian," said Governor Abbott. "The scope of this disaster requires a comprehensive response, and we are providing the resources needed to help affected communities. Texas will keep swiftly deploying ongoing relief assistance as those impacted by this devastating storm rebuild and move forward."

In the past 24 hours, TDEM has activated and deployed the following resources:

• Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences:
  • Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET)—consisting of seven veterinarians, six veterinary technicians, three small animal mobile medical platforms, and two mobile veterinary trucks—to provide veterinary support for more than 80 search and rescue canines
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service:
  • Disaster Assessment and Recovery Unit—consisting of seven disaster assessment and recovery (DAR) agents—to provide logistical and administrative support for the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team
• Texas Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce (TERT):
  • Deploying two 9-1-1 dispatchers—one from the Midlothian Police Department and one from the Hood County Sheriff’s Office—to assist impacted Florida counties with their post-storm dispatching responsibilities
• Texas Division of Emergency Management:
  • Emergency Sheltering Task Force member—one Mass Care Coordinator—to assist the state of Florida with shelter and mass care coordination

“Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is well-positioned to respond to natural disasters and provide specialized assistance with animal response,” said Rick Avery, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Director. “Our agents are ready to support Florida during this time of great need.”

These resources were activated at the request of Florida officials through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).

In the past week, the State of Texas has mobilized and deployed more than 100 personnel to support Florida’s response and recovery efforts, including:

Additional resources may be deployed as requested.

EMAC is a state-to-state mutual aid system in which the requesting state is responsible for the reimbursement of mission costs. For more information, visit emacweb.org.