The District 2 Incident Management Team from Indiana is still in the New York area assisting emergency management teams in clean-up efforts from Hurricane Sandy.
Public Information Officer Al Kirsits told WKVI that with the Nor’easter blowing into the area where they area stationed, the team is being moved from their Incident Command Post to a firehouse in Jericho, NY. There they will be able to be safe from the storm. They will be sleeping on cots and waiting for the storm to pass and they will help in that clean up after that storm and continue in their current relief efforts from Hurricane Sandy.
Kirsits said the members of the District 2 team have merged with two other teams from Indiana to form a 52-member Incident Management Team from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. The District 2 members include Kirsits, who is a battalion chief with the Penn Township Fire Department in South Bend, Starke County Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Bombagetti and Kenny Pfost from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department. Ron Patrick and Sherri Gaillard from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department are also part of the team, along with Sherry Fagner from the Pulaski County Health Department and Pulaski County EMA Director Larry Hoover. Also representing Pulaski County is Matt Pitney.
The IMAT has accomplished a lot and there is more to do, but the members will be sent home on Sunday as they will reach their 14-day deployment maximum as regulated by FEMA.
Those remaining will continue to sift through the devastation and improve conditions as soon as possible on the East Coast.
