WHEREAS, Virginia Task Force 2, an elite urban search and rescue team sponsored by the Virginia Beach Fire Department, was activated for deployment on January 13, 2010, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in response to the devastating 7.0 earthquake that hit the country on January 12; and

WHEREAS, Virginia Task Force 2 arrived in Haiti late on January 15, 2010, and on January 16, 2010, began searching for survivors in conjunction with a task force from New York; and

WHEREAS, on January 17, 2010, Virginia Task Force 2 was able to drop a tube to a survivor trapped in the collapsed United Nations Building so he could receive water; almost eight hours later, team members were able to pull the survivor out of the rubble; and

WHEREAS, on January 19, 2010, Virginia Task Force 2 team members were also able to save two children trapped in a collapsed residential building; and

WHEREAS, Virginia Task Force 2 is a specialized team of approximately 200 members organized and managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and

WHEREAS, highly trained team members have been deployed in response to various natural disasters and were deployed to the Pentagon on September 11, 2001; and

WHEREAS, a world class urban rescue team, Virginia Task Force 2 is comprised of firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, dog handlers, engineers, and physicians from cities and counties in the South Hampton Roads area; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Virginia Task Force 2 for its readiness and response to the Haitian earthquake; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Virginia Task Force 2 as an expression of the General Assembly's respect, admiration, and gratitude for the team's readiness and service in times of crisis.