VIRGINIA BEACH — With Hurricane Irma’s arrival in Puerto Rico looming, a Virginia Beach-based search-and-rescue team has been deployed to San Juan.
Virginia Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue Team sent 45 members to San Juan, Puerto Rico on Monday night to prepare for the anticipated arrival of the Category 5 storm on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
The team is made up of first responders from the Virginia Beach Fire Department, as well as firefighters from Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, James City County and Williamsburg, according to the VBFD.
The team specializes in technical and water rescue, HAZMAT and structural collapse.
The deployment comes about a week after the task force sent 18 members to Texas to help with search and rescue efforts after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston.
