[FedCom] Columbia Recovery Ops, Current SitRep and Asset Inventory from Texas Emergency Management

[Robert Wyman]

Several interesting notes in current SitReps regarding Federal and Military
assets. Should be lots of radio activity in the affected area, but I don't
know if we have any FedCommers or MilCommers down there.

RW

Index:
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/sitrepindex.htm

Latest SitRep:
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ftp/dem/sitrep/sr_columbia_02122003_13.pdf

Excerpts from current SitRep:

SUBJECT: Shuttle Columbia Disaster
SITUATION REPORT #13
DATE AND TIME COVERED: Tuesday, February 11, 2003, 11:00 a.m. through
Wednesday, February 12, 2003, 11:00 a.m.

I. CURRENT SITUATION:

The State of Texas EOC continues its support of search and recovery efforts
for material from the
space shuttle Columbia. Anderson County officials report that 1291 of 1314
sites have been
cleared. Cherokee County officials report that 857 of 865 sites have been
cleared. Henderson
County officials report that 130 of 130 sites have been cleared. Johnson
County officials report
38 of 83 sites have been cleared. Nacogdoches County officials report that
2310 of 2507 sites
have been cleared. Navarro County officials report that all 200 known sites
have been cleared.
Sabine county officials report that 441 of 1415 sites have been cleared. San
Augustine County
officials report that 1030 of 1818 sites have been cleared (the total site
numbers have decreased
due to consolidating and condensing of reported sites).

All activities are being conducted under Unified Command of FEMA, FBI, NASA,
EPA, and the
State of Texas. A Command Center is operational at the Bank of America
building in Lufkin, as
well as command posts in Anderson, Cherokee, Nacogdoches, Sabine, and San
Augustine
Counties.

Ground searches have involved coordinated efforts of local emergency
responders,
TXARNG soldiers, state and federal agency representatives, and a large
number of volunteers.

The U.S. Navy is starting an intense search of the Toledo Bend reservoir;
the DPS Dive Team is
assisting.

A low-level air search is being conducted between Ft. Worth and Lubbock.

NASA has identified 15 or 16 items of shuttle components as �must finds� and
are continuing to
determine areas for intensified searches. A Monomethyl Hydrazine (MMH)
pressure vessel, an
extremely dangerous hazard (both toxic and flammable), was located on Monday
in a dense
wooded area. The vessel will be remediated today by the 6th CST with advice
from the EPA and
NASA. The EPA has requested that the CSTs and TCEQ remain in the recovery
area until all
major tanks and hazardous materials have been recovered.

Disaster Field Office (DFO) operations are now located at the Bank of
America building, 415
South First Street, Lufkin.

A DFO satellite facility continues to operate at Carswell Field, NAS
Fort Worth, 1510 Chennault, Ft Worth.

The total number of TXARNG personnel authorized to support search and
recovery remains at
800.

The US Forest Service is deploying 10 hand crews (200 personnel) to support
search and
recovery operations. The crews are expected to be in place on Thursday.

III. RESPONDING AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS

State/Local

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG)
Texas Forest Service (TFS)
Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)
Office of the Attorney General (TXOAG)
Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT)
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)
Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC)
Texas Department of Health (TDH)
Texas Natural Resource Information Service (TNRIS)
Texas Water Development Board (TWDB)
Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX)
Railroad Commission (RRC)
Department of Human Services (DHS)
Mental Health and Mental Retardation (MHMR)
American Red Cross (ARC)
The Salvation Army (TSA)
Texas Baptist Men (TBM)
The University of Texas at Austin (UT)
Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU)
Local fire, law enforcement, EMS, and search and rescue units
Air Land Emergency Resource Team (ALERT) volunteer search and rescue

Federal

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Department of Defense (DOD)
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF)
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
US Coast Guard (USCG)
US Forest Service (USFS)
US Air Force (USAF)
National Park Service (NPS)
US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
US Attorney General (USAG)
US Public Health Service
Department of Transportation

FEMA remains the overall lead agency. The FBI is lead agency for collection
of human remains
and miscellaneous material. EPA is lead agency for material,
decontamination, and collection
and now has 60 response teams in the field. NASA is lead agency for
information and
intelligence.

VI. SUMMARY of RESOURCES COMMITTED:

DPS 322 Troopers
Dive Team
TCEQ Command Post
19 Personnel
Texas Rangers & CLE
SGT/Investigators
TAHC 1 Vet active
2 Vets & 3 Field Inspectors on
standby
4 Aircraft TNRIS 4 Personnel (Mapping support)
Victim Services TDH Health advice
DEM State EOC, DFO TEEX Cadaver dogs & handlers
Lufkin Joint Command Center TPWD 11 Game wardens
TXARNG 800 Soldiers GIS Lab Team
10 Helicopters RRC 2 Personnel (GIS Mapping support)
6th Civil Support Team SFASU/UT Mapping support
New Mexico NG 64th CST ARC 11 ERVs
TFS 179 Personnel TSA 10 Canteens
Mobile CP TBM Mobile Command Post
TDCJ 5 Personnel Shower Unit
1 Overhead Team Chaplain trailer
4 Buses w/ drivers DMORT 37 Personnel
TxDOT 10 Personnel MHMR Crisis Hotlines at 13 Centers
4 GPS Units CISM Team
2 Fuel Trailers DHS Food Commodities
TXOAG Fraud Hotline ALERT Debris Collection
TWDB Oversight of TNRIS operations Mapping Support