Indiana Task Force 1 departs for Maui

Indianapolis, Indiana – On Friday morning, 70 members of Indiana Task Force 1 departed from Indianapolis early for Maui, where they will assist with search and rescue operations and disaster relief activities related to last week’s tragic wildfires.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Indianapolis Fire Department, and members of the general public make up the team. They will join the two INTF-1 members who are currently in Maui.

The task force members stayed in a local motel on Thursday night before departing for the Indianapolis International Airport just before 4 a.m. on Friday.

Around 6:15 a.m., the crew of 70 boarded a private charter aircraft bound for Kahului Airport in Maui. They will arrive on the island, which is six hours behind Indianapolis, after a nine-hour nonstop trip.

The team members express their gratitude for the help from their fellow Hoosiers.

It’s also comforting to know that Hoosiers in Indiana are always thinking of others, even in far-off states like Hawaii. The task force’s leader, Jay Settergren, told News 8 that the group felt this was an opportunity for them to contribute and assist as well.

How long the crew will stay in Maui and whether additional INTF-1 personnel will be sent on deployment are both unknown.

One of the 28 urban search and rescue teams supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is Indiana Task Force 1.