VIDEO: Members of Pennsylvania’s Task Force One are already in Texas, leading search efforts after major flooding resulted in over 100 fatalities and multiple others are still reported as missing. In addition to forces from Pennsylvania, help is now on the way from first responders in St. Clair Township, Ohio. The Calcutta Fire Search and Rescue team was activated by crews in Kerrville, Texas.
The team of four people and the department’s K-9 cadaver dog, Solace, left Wednesday afternoon, taking the 22-hour drive down to Kerr County, Texas. The department says it’s no stranger to going wherever they are needed in the country, but for this trip, it was their dog that was needed the most. “Cadavers are not a typical one that anyone goes for. So that cadaver field is very, very small, and us being a first responder department to have a canine cadaver tracking dog, makes it a lot easier for us to find people and also go on these missions,” said Lt. Randy Schneider with the Calcutta Fire Department.
Officials say this is Solace’s second search and rescue mission with the Calcutta Fire Department. But for the department, itโs their eighth search and rescue mission. Usually, when disaster strikes somewhere around the county, they are called in and asked to bring supplies like food, water, and clothes by the truckload, or even are asked to assist in swift water rescues. While those tasks will still be performed when they are in Texas, the main reason for their trip is their use of Solace.
First responders in Texas sent out a call to K9 dogs and their departments to continue to search the more than 200 miles of river and any possible bodies left to be found. And thatโs what sets Solace apart from other dogs; she is specifically trained in being a cadaver dog. The department says all of them are going down for as long as needed. “It could be anywhere from four to five days. It could be a week. Itโs whenever the command determines that you know itโs time to relinquish and let another crew come in,” said Lt. Schneider.
