Council Reviews Task Force Operations to Mark 9/11 Anniversary

In anticipation of the upcoming 10th anniversary of the attacks of 9/11, the Lake Forest City Council recognized those who lost their lives that fateful day in 2001 at its sole September meeting.

A presentation Tuesday night from firefighter Devin Leonard, battalion chief with the Orange County Fire Authority, showcased Lake Forest's role in the federal government's emergency preparedness activities since the attacks.

A local firehouse is home to one of the nation's 28 task forces, which mobilize in the event of an emergency situation, Leonard said.

California Task Force 5 has its logistics base at Station 54, the Foothill Ranch firehouse on Pauling Avenue.

Leonard told the City Council that the task forces have been a part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency since 1991 but weren't fully funded until the events of 9/11.

The Foothill Ranch-based task force is one of eight statewide, he said. While it's hosted through the OCFA, other fire agencies in the area also help staff it. 

A typical deployment to an emergency situation is 80 of the approximately 210 emergency personnel that make up the task force, he said.

Local benefits of hosting such a team include assistance with local events, such as airlift of injured hikers from Whiting Ranch, Leonard explained.

In addition to listening to Leonard's presentation, the City Council also recognized the upcoming anniversary by adjourning in memory of the 2,977 victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, including 343 New York Fire Department firefighters and 60 New York City and Port Authority police officers.