2008 News

August 29, 2008

Cawley Announces Bucks Aid To Hurricane Gustav
Area Ambulance Companies Rush to Aid Evacuees in New Orleans

Tropical Storm Gustav is expected to be a destructive hurricane by the time it reaches the Gulf Coast next week.  Ambulance companies from Bucks County are deploying south to aid in evacuations due to Gustav.  Eleven staff members from four Bucks County companies and five ambulances are participating; Bucks County Rescue, Bensalem Rescue, Quakertown Rescue and Central Bucks Rescue.

“Bucks County’s emergency responders are always quick to respond to those in need, whether here at home or across the country,” said Commissioner Jim Cawley, speaking on behalf of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners, “We are proud of the work they do, and are glad we can help our neighbors in New Orleans.”

They will be joined by units from Montgomery, Chester, and Philadelphia at the Philadelphia International Airport and leave together at 6 p.m. Friday evening. These responders are assigned to New Orleans, Louisiana, along with 50 other ambulance companies from PA.  All of the PA units are part of the State Ambulance Strike Teams.

“Once again the state of Pennsylvania, the Southeast Region Task Force and Bucks County are stepping to the plate to aid disaster victims across the United States,” said John Dougherty, director of the Bucks County’s Emergency Management Agency, “This is just another good example of Bucks County’s preparedness.

This deployment is an approved Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) assignment.  EMAC is a congressionally-ratified organization for interstate mutual aid in which a disaster impacted state can request and receive assistance from other member states quickly and efficiently.