Illinois National Guard troops heading to Puerto Rico

Around 150 Illinois National Guard troops deployed to Puerto Rico Saturday morning, Gov. Bruce Rauner announced.

The troops will join around 60 Illinois Air National Guard airmen already helping with relief efforts. While in Puerto Rico, the troops will provide additional security, escort relief convoys and conduct law-enforcement patrols.

The island, which is a U.S. territory, is still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Many are still without power and the death toll is also uncertain. Last month, firefighters from Chicago went to the island to assist in hurricane relief efforts.

http://multimedia.illinois.gov/ioci_vid/Archive/2017/WebpageOnly/GOV/110417-NationalGuardNorthwest/110417-NationalGuardNorthwest.mp4Rauner sent a letter to Ricardo Rossello, the governor of Puerto Rico, a month ago, saying the state would “mobilize troops immediately if and when more boots were needed on the ground.”

Puerto Rico requested the assistance through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, the nation’s state-to-state mutual aid system. The request was coordinated in Illinois by the state’s Emergency Management Agency.

Under the emergency assistance compact, Puerto Rico agreed to reimburse the state of Illinois for all deployment expenses, estimated at around $948,000.

“The recovery in Puerto Rico will be difficult and long, and it’s likely more assistance will be needed in the coming months,” said James K. Joseph, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. “We will continue to closely monitor the EMAC system for additional ways Illinois responders can help with the recovery.”