WASHINGTON — Local first-responding personnel are on their way to Nepal after a deadly earthquake rocked the country on Saturday.

“It will be long hours and lots of work, but we plan on getting over there as soon as possible,” says Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department Battalion Chief Chris Schaff. 

Virginia Task Force One specializes in finding survivors in collapsed buildings. Schaff says the team is one of two in the U.S. that are ready to respond when called upon by the U.S. Agency for International Development. They left headquarters Saturday night for Dover Air Force Base, where they were expected to begin the journey to Asia.

The team is made up of members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. They’ll be accompanied by six dogs that can sniff out survivors. In addition to the animals, the team will use listening devices and search cameras to find people trapped beneath the rubble.

Schaff’s team responds to these types of rescues on a smaller scale in Fairfax County. The team will have enough food, water and supplies to last 14 days.