City personnel deployed to assist with California wildfires

A firefighter battles a fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley, California on Nov. 12, 2018. (Credit: Ringo H.W. Chiu / AP)

The City of Round Rock deployed five firefighters, two fire apparatus, and a mechanic and truck this week to assist with ongoing wildfire rescue and containment efforts in California.

Steven Puckett, Daniel O’Sail, Derrick Steffek, Johnny Davidson, Bill Fritzinger, and Curtis Mullins left Round Rock on Monday afternoon. They will drive 12-hour increments until they reach Southern California, where they will split into three teams, including a mechanic team dedicated to providing support along travel routes impacted by the fires.

As part of a statewide effort, the Round Rock contingent will join 200 firefighters in 50 engines from 47 fire departments across Texas to help fight three major wildfires that have taken at least 44 lives, destroyed more than 6,700 structures and prompted evacuations for about 250,000 Californians.

On Saturday, California emergency officials contacted the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TEDM) who then called Texas A&M Forest Service to request help via the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) program. TIFMAS is the fire and rescue framework that provides wildfire incident support. Texas A&M Forest Service helps coordinate wildland fire suppression efforts throughout Texas with local fire departments.

“This is another solid example of Texas firefighters stepping up to help out. This is the largest mobilization of Texas firefighting resources to another state to fight wildland fires,” said Mark Stanford, fire chief and associate director at Texas A&M Forest Service.

Texas fire departments that are mobilizing personnel and engines include:

• Abilene Fire Department
• Amarillo Fire Department
• Austin Fire Department
• Baytown Fire Department
• Bexar County D-7
• Bexar County ESD-8 (Grey Forest)
• Borger Fire Department
• Bryan Fire Department
• City of Galveston Fire Department
• City of Midland Fire Department
• Conroe Fire Department
• Dallas Fire & Rescue
• District 7 Fire Rescue
• Eastex Fire Department
• Flower Mound Fire Department
• Forest Bend Fire Department
• Frisco Fire Department
• Fulshear Fire Department
• Kyle Fire Department
• Lake Travis Fire Rescue
• Lewisville Fire Department
• Little Elm Fire Department
• Longview Fire Department
• McKinney Fire Department
• Needham Fire Department
• New Waverly Volunteer Fire Department
• North Montgomery County ESD-1
• Oak Hill Fire Department
• Paris Fire Department
• Parker County ESD-6
• Plano Fire Rescue
• Porter Fire Department
• Powderly Volunteer Fire Department
• Prosper Fire Department
• Round Rock Fire Department
• San Angelo Fire Department
• Schertz Fire Rescue
• Somervell Fire Department
• Travis County ESD-3
• Weatherford Fire Department
• Webster Fire Department
• Westlake Fire Department
• Wichita Falls Volunteer Fire Department 

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Source: City of Round Rock