Texas officials asked for help. Minnesota Task Force 1 (TF1) was on the road later that day. 

The team’s members left behind their families, their day jobs and the comfort of their own homes. 

In exchange, they’ve been working in dangerous and tough conditions for long hours in the Texas heat, helping community members whose hearts are heavy with grief and sorrow. 

“The work is hard and emotionally taxing,” said Jodie Ryan, State Emergency Response Teams supervisor. “But this is what we do — we step up and help others on their worst days.” 

TF1 is one of Minnesota’s two urban search and rescue teams, trained to assist in a variety of ways following a natural or man-made disaster. 

That can include structural collapse support, wide-area searches, rope rescues and advanced medical care.   

The team is equipped for 24-hour operations and can work in any disaster area, including those with little or no infrastructure.  

“It really is beneficial when we have teams with these advanced capabilities,” said State Fire Marshal Dan Krier. “It’s invaluable.” 

Sometimes disaster strikes close to home, but on July 4, it was more than 1,000 miles away. 

Heavy rainfall in central Texas caused the Guadalupe River to rise more than 26 feet in less than an hour, wiping out whole communities and killing dozens.  

A week later, TF1 and teams like it in other states were asked to assist. 

The request came through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a mutual aid agreement and partnership, which allows U.S. states and territories to send personnel and equipment to support disaster response efforts around the country.  

EMAC requests are coordinated through our Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) division. 

“EMAC is about being good neighbors and strong partners to communities across America that request assistance during an emergency response,” said Allison Farole, HSEM director. “We strive to support them as much as possible, just as we’d want their support if we ever face a crisis.” 

When the EMAC request was made, 120 people were confirmed dead and more than 170 were still missing. 

The remains of at least 14 more people have now been found thanks to teams like TF1. 

Five rescuers and two K-9s, Red and Royal, made the trip from Minnesota 

So far, they’ve been assigned to Travis County Incident Command, northwest of Austin; Big Sandy Creek, west of Leander; and now Kerr County.  

The team consists of first responders from different agencies around Minnesota, from Apple Valley to Rochester. 

That’s because TF1 exists under a joint powers authority, which includes a number of municipalities and private organizations that can all assist in deployments and local emergencies. 

In addition to natural disasters, they’ve helped search for missing persons and responded to the Interstate 35W bridge collapse. 

And there’s another team just like it. Task Force 2 (TF2) has most of the same capabilities but is slightly smaller. Both teams receive funding from our State Fire Marshal (SFM) division, which covers training, operating and material costs. 

As recovery efforts wind down in Texas, these teams are already prepared to help victims of the next disaster.  

“We hope their help is never needed,” said Krier. “But when it is, you realize how important they are, and how lucky we are to have them.