TOPEKA —Kansas is sending swift water rescue teams/search and rescue teams to support Texas in response to Hurricane Harvey.

One Type I and three Type II swiftwater/flood rescue teams with hard-bottom, air boats, and inflatable boats with personnel will be sent from the Kansas Fire Marshal’s Office, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, Derby Fire Department, Chanute Fire Department, Derby Fire Department, Hutchinson Fire Department, South Hutchinson Police Department, Manhattan Fire Department, Mission Township Fire Department, Neodesha Fire Department, Newton Fire Department/EMS, Parsons Fire Department, Pittsburg Fire Department, Salina Fire Department, Saline County Sheriff’s Office, Sedgwick County Fire Department, Shawnee Fire Department, and Winfield Fire Department.

The teams will conduct search and rescue operations. Their objectives will be: To Search for and rescue individuals, provide basic life support (BLS) medical care, transport humans and animals to the nearest location for secondary air or land transport, provides shore-based and boat-based water rescue, provide animal rescues, and support helicopter and urban search and rescue in water environments.

The teams started deployment Wednesday night and some will deploy Thursday.