Colorado Task Force 1 team headed to Texas to assist in the aftermath of floods

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Task Force 1(CO-TF1) has been activated and is sending a team of approximately 45 members to Texas to assist in the aftermath of devastating floods, according to the organization.

Colorado Urban Search and Rescue Task Force confirms that CO-TF1 is on the road tonight, headed to Kerr County, Texas, just northwest of San Antonio.

Officials say the team left Lakewood around 6 p.m. today with the expectation of a 13 to 14-hour drive.

The team includes 48 members and four canines, all of whom received check-ups before leaving, officials say.

At this time, officials confirm that the team is still awaiting instructions from local resources on its exact mission. However, they say the team specializes in water search and rescue, wide-area search, and collapsed structure search and rescue.

CO-TF1 states that they are designed to respond to a disaster area without impacting local resources and can support itself for up to 72 hours of round-the-clock search and rescue operations without resupply, including food, shelter, and hygiene.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department says it will also send five members on the deployment.

Colorado emergency response crews from the American Red Cross are on standby to deploy to Texas, according to the organization.

The American Red Cross currently has nationwide crews on the ground working to provide emergency shelters and supplies.

The American Red Cross says families who are still trying to get in contact with someone impacted by the disaster should call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767). They can also fill out a form at  http://rdcrss.org/4nAM6Dw.

The Kerrville Police Department asked that residents in Texas not go out searching on their own, saying that doing so interferes with their search and rescue operations. The police department asked that those in the area looking to volunteer call 830-465-4797 or go to tcrcommunityos.org to give their information.

How to support from Colorado

For those looking to donate, Kerr County officials ask that donations be sent to the Kerr County Relief Fund.

Checks can also be made payable to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, and mailed to:

Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country

241 Earl Garrett Street, Kerrville, Texas 78028

The Center Point Volunteer Fire Department is also collecting donations via Venmo. It is under a Venmo Business account listed as Center Point Volunteer Fire Department. People need to look for the username @CPVFDTX.

NOTE: Beware of scams circulating on payment and donation platforms like GoFundMe and Venmo. The Center Point Volunteer Fire Department says scammers have been making accounts similar to their name. Always make sure you are sending money to a trusted source, and that their accounts match up with the information provided directly from the organization.

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