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SoCal Sends Help To East Coast In Sandy's Aftermath

CASTAIC (CBSLA.com) — Southern California has sent resources to the East Coast to help with rescue and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.

Los Angeles, Orange County and Riverside County fire agencies have collectively deployed eight people to help storm victims from New York to the Carolinas.

About 100 members of the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing have also been deployed to a staging area in South Carolina to rescue stranded residents and deliver supplies to isolated communities.

On Wednesday, Southern California Edison will deploy 170 people by plane and send a massive fleet of trucks to help restore power to millions in New York.

Meantime, the L.A. County Urban Search & Rescue Team is on-call to help victims of Sandy's destructive path.

The top emergency responders have been certified by FEMA and approved by Gov. Jerry Brown as the go-to agency when a major disaster happens anywhere around the world.

"We're a jack of all trades," said Capt. Bob Goldman from the L.A. Fire Department. "When people call us, we come and do something as benign as turn off the water line if they have a broken water pipe or something extreme as a rescue."

If the rescue team is called, they'll have four hours to assemble and head out to destructed communities.

"We're all thinking about those folks back East. Our hearts and prayers are out for them for sure," said Goldman.

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