Aug. 30, 2017
Keith Stephens Chief of Communications
LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas Game and Fish Commission wildlife officers have answered the call for help from Texas. Twenty-eight AGFC wildlife officers are on their way to southeast Texas to assist in hurricane search and rescue efforts as a result of Hurricane Harvey.
Officers left Little Rock this morning bound for San Antonio. From there, they will receive instructions on where they will be positioned. The 28 officers are trained in swift water rescue and are expected to help rescue people stranded by the torrential rains. Officers will disperse in 14 boats to assist rescue operations in the flooded area of the Texas gulf coast. They expect to spend up to 10 days in the hurricane-ravaged area before returning to Arkansas.
The group is highly trained and motivated to help Arkansas’s neighbors to the southwest, according to AGFC Enforcement Col. Greg Rae. "Part of being a wildlife officer in Arkansas is helping rescue people during these natural disasters. I have no doubt these officers will make a difference in a lot of people’s lives this week," Rae said.
The officers were sent to the area at the request of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management. ADEM was contacted by the state of Texas and requested additional response help.