Community members gathered in East Palo Alto for California Task Force 3’s (CA-TF3) first annual fundraiser to help maintain the task force’s K-9 unit on Saturday. Event attendees were served Crab Cioppino and were treated to a range of events such as a K-9 trick show, award ceremony, and silent auctions.
CA-TF3 is one of 28 national emergency response teams in the United States under the National Response System (NRS), eight of which are based in California. These teams have responded to several catastrophe’s around the country such as Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 attacks and are mainly funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
“We’ve responded to 60 of the most heinous disasters in American history since 1991,” John Wurdinger, the battalion chief of special operations for the Menlo Park Fire Protection District and the Program Manager for Task Force 3, said.
He noted that the task force needed to source funding from community events in order to keep operations running properly. After 9/11, the National Response system was given more money from the federal government. The total pool for all 28 teams is 40 million, which roughly comes out to be 1.3-1.4 million dollars per team.
Wurdinger conducted a cost analysis and explained CA-TF3’s current financial situation. “$2.6 million is what it takes to make this team work the way it should work. We make it work with what we got, but it would be better if we were actually funded properly,” he said.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is currently the highest funded government agency, given $85 billion to spend from the DHS, a clear funding disparity.
Congressman Kevin Mullin introduced H.R. 5154 – Resilient Emergency Alert Communications and Training (REACT) Act, a bill that would increase the total money funding to allow 2 million per team dollars in funding for each team. However, the bill is still being discussed by the House Committee.
The event included a K-9 trick show before dinner was officially served. Bandon Bond, a handler for the unit and the City Disaster Preparedness Coordinator for the city of Menlo Park, was ecstatic that the community rallied together in support of funding these units.
The event included a K-9 trick show before dinner was officially served. Bandon Bond, a handler for the unit and the City Disaster Preparedness Coordinator for the city of Menlo Park, was ecstatic that the community rallied together in support of funding these units.
“I had no idea what to expect and the amount of people that have shown up and the appreciation and the love for the dogs,” Bonds said. “It’s just been awesome.”
Bond remarked how the task force’s current budget does not adequately allow for financial support for K-9 handlers, who have an estimated cost of around $12,000-$15,000 for specialized training that the individual has to pay out of pocket.
“If I want to go to Kansas City, where they do an annual training every year, I’m paying for all of the expenses to take that trip,” Bonds said.
Seth Johnson, a 24-year member and Fire Captain for the Menlo Park Fire Protection District commented on the apparent lack of funding for CA-TF3. “It’s not much money at all. We really have to spread it out, apply for federal grants and make it all work,” Johnson said.
Lynne Engelbert has been a member of the task force for 35 years. “I have gotten to go to (national emergencies) like the Oakland City bombing and the World Trade Center,” she said. “You see things that you never thought you would ever see, horrendous things, but you’re helping,” she said.
“You see it on television, but you don’t realize the magnitude of these disasters. Same thing with the World Trade Center, we knew it was horrible, we knew it was huge. And same thing with the Pentagon – until you put foot on the side, you don’t understand just how huge those events are and how tragic they are, all the lives that were lost, but you get to go help try to bring those lives back, little bits, pieces of them, whatever, so that they can be identified and their loved ones can get some type of closure. That’s why I love what I do” Engelbert said.
Engelbert reflected on her time as a part of the CA-TF3. “I’m so fortunate that I get to help people when they need it the most. Not everybody can do what we do,” she said.
“These are amazing people who put their lives on the front line to help others.”
CA-TF3 has been an asset for not just the community, but for the nation as a whole. Its response teams have been responsible for saving countless lives in natural disasters both regionally and nationally. While events such as the cioppino boil have helped them slowly reach their funding, you can still donate to the force here.
