Cuomo orders water rescue personnel to North Carolina ahead of Dorian

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Wednesday ordered the deployment of 34 water rescue personnel from two state agencies to North Carolina to assist in the response to an expected assault there later this week by Hurricane Dorian.

The personnel are from the State Office of Fire Prevention and Control and the Department of Environmental Conservation. Earlier this week, Cuomo deployed resources to Florida to assist communities impacted there by the storm.

"New York understands all too well the destruction that extreme weather can cause, and we will always step up to help our fellow states in times of need," Cuomo said in a statement Wednesday, adding: "We have some of the best emergency response personnel and resources in the country and I'm confident this highly trained water rescue team will be a huge help to North Carolina's response and recovery efforts."

The Wednesday deployment includes members from New York Task Force-2, managed by the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, consisting of staff from the Office of Fire Prevention and Control and local first responders, as well as Forest Rangers from the State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The 34 personnel include 21 OFPC Fire Protection Specialists, seven Task Force-2 members from local agencies, and six DEC Forest Rangers. The deployment team will bring inflatable rescue boats, along with support trailers. In addition to providing water rescues, the teams also can provide high-angle rope rescue and K-9 search and rescue capability, the governor's office said.

This deployment is the second time water rescue personnel have deployed to assist another state during an emergency. Staff deployed in 2017 to assist Florida during Hurricane Irma.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”