(August 28, 2017 – La Fortaleza, San Juan) The governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, arrived this morning at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport to thank and support a brigade composed of 15 Puerto Rican rescue workers who will collaborate in the recovery work following Hurricane Harvey’s passage through Texas.
The group is coordinated by Abner Gómez, director of the State Agency for Emergency and Disaster Management (AEMEAD, per its Spanish acronym) and is composed of five firefighters, a paramedic of the Medical Emergencies Corps, and nine volunteers and staff of the agency’s municipal offices.
Gómez thanked the availability of these rescue workers with experience in search and rescue in collapsed structures and water rescue.
“The people of Puerto Rico stand in solidarity with the residents of Texas and the thousands of Puerto Rican families living there. I would like to thank this skilled brigade for its commitment. Without a doubt, its experience in this type of emergencies will help in the recovery and rescue after the passage of this atmospheric phenomenon,” expressed the governor.
Governor Rosselló informed that Texas Governor Greg Abbott communicated his gratitude for the Puerto Rican brigade.
Approximately 155,000 Puerto Ricans live in Texas, most of them in Tarrant, Dallas, and Denton counties.
Yesterday, the governor signed an Executive Order to authorize the provision of humanitarian aid services to the state of Texas and use up to $25,000 from the Emergency Fund to finance the mobilization, groceries, and any other expenses related to the brigade’s mission.
American Airlines donated the transportation of the luggage and equipment of the brigade of rescue workers that left for Dallas, Texas to then move to the affected zone.