K9 teams from the New York Police Department landed in Texas Saturday morning to help assist with recovery efforts after fatal floods have devastated that state, according to the department.
In a Saturday morning social media post, the NYPD shared a video of officers and their canine counterparts at the airport. It identified the K9 units as: Detective Joseph Brayuha wih K9 McDonald and Detective Monika Grejniec with K9 Tombo.
“Both K9s are named after our fallen heroes Detective Steven McDonald and Police Officer Thomas Gallagher,” the NYPD said.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), canine search teams play a critical role in emergency response efforts. In particular, they can help locate missing disaster victims.
As of Saturday, USA Today reported that around 170 people were still missing following last weekend’s severe floods that claimed more than 120 lives, including young campers near the Guadalupe River. A new flood watch was also in effect in Central Texas this weekend.
“Texas continues to stand ready to deploy all necessary resources to support Texans as severe storms move across our state,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a Friday statement. “Today, I activated state emergency response resources to support local officials and first responders ahead of severe weather and flash flooding threats starting tonight and through the weekend. I urge Texans to remain weather-aware and heed the guidance of state and local officials to ensure the safety of themselves and their loved ones.”