Just over a week after being deployed to Colombia to aid in rescue operations after the devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake, members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s (LACoFD) international Urban Search and Rescue team will be coming home Thursday, Aug. 20.
The team, also known as USA-2, was activated by the United States Department of State on Aug. 10 and deployed from LA International Airport (LAX) on Aug. 12. The 10-member team consisted of seven LACoFD personnel and three LA County Department of Public Works structural specialists.
USA-2 and USA-1, the team from the Fairfax County Fire Department in Virginia, spent the week assisting Colombian authorities in search and rescue operations, conducting structural engineering assessments and providing technical expertise.
The LACoFD team is expected to arrive back at LAX around 7 p.m. tonight.
The earthquake that shook Colombia occurred on Aug. 10, and the death toll has risen to an estimated 300. According to local authorities, more than 400 people are still missing, at least 4,500 are injured, 29,000 homes have been destroyed and another 134,000 are damaged.
“As the mission concludes, the LACoFD remains deeply inspired by the strength and resilience of the Colombian people,” the department said in a statement. “The LACoFD is grateful to have contributed to this vital U.S. State Department response and continues to stand in solidarity and prayer with all impacted communities as long-term recovery efforts move forward.”
This is the second time this year that USA-2 was deployed. In June, they were sent to Venezuela following 7.5- and 7.2-magnitude earthquakes that caused widespread destruction in the country. The death toll has continued to rise, reaching an estimated 6,500.
Due to the scale of the disaster during the Venezuelan earthquake, USA-2 stayed for 11 days before coming home the evening of July 6. That team consisted of 73 personnel, six canine teams, 84,000 pounds of specialized equipment and four physicians from the LA County Department of Health Services.