EASTHAMPTON — Police Officer Luis Rivera will join 68 law enforcement officers from across Massachusetts, including eight from Holyoke, to assist with security duties in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
Police Chief Robert Alberti announced Rivera’s deployment on Facebook Wednesday night, and said the officer could be flown out within the next few days.
“Officer Rivera will bring to Puerto Rico the same commitment, dedication and service that he has provided to Easthampton for many years. We couldn’t be prouder,” Alberti wrote.
Reached Thursday, Rivera said he’s heard that relatives on the island survived, yet he remains concerned.
He was born in Brooklyn, but his grandparents live in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico. He has not been able to speak with them directly since the hurricane hit. He did hear from a neighbor of his grandparents’ about two weeks ago. The neighbor drove about an hour away from the community to make calls to family members and friends of those isolated by the storm’s aftermath.
The call was scratchy and short, Rivera said. The neighbor was able to pass the word along that the damage was bad, but his grandparents were OK and not to worry.
Rivera said if his grandmother couldn’t make the drive out, though, things were not as OK as he was told.
“They’re always going to say they’re fine,” he said.
The request for assistance from Puerto Rico came through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, or EMAC, which is the national emergency management mutual aid system that facilitates state-to-state disaster assistance, according to a statement from Gov. Charlie Baker’s office.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Acency, MEMA, has organized the law enforcement team. They will be assisting Puerto Rican officers with enforcing curfew and other security measures, according to the statement.
Alberti said he passed the request to Rivera, 32, who speaks Spanish, and he volunteered to go.
“It’s an honor,” Rivera said.
Rivera will be deployed for two weeks in the U.S. territory. The team is divided into three separate two-week rotations, for a total of six weeks of assistance.
He said his time away will be hard on his wife and three children, but they are supportive of him.
Rivera said he does not know where in Puerto Rico he will be stationed or if he will have the opportunity to see his grandparents.
“That will be just a bonus,” Rivera said about the possibility of seeing his family. He said his objective is to help people on the island and do his part as a police officer.
“We are proud that a team of law enforcement officers will deploy to Puerto Rico to help keep residents safe after the recent catastrophic hurricanes,” Baker said in a statement. “The commonwealth continues to offer personnel and equipment resources as needed to Puerto Rico, and is preparing to welcome disaster survivors traveling to Massachusetts. We will keep collaborating at all levels of government to support Puerto Rico throughout this difficult time.”
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.