Fayetteville swift-water team headed to help Harvey victims
FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (WTVD) -- Sixteen water rescue team members from the Fayetteville Fire and Emergency Management Department, Fayetteville Police Department, and Cumberland County EMS are headed west to help Hurricane Harvey victims.
Task Force 9 expects to be deployed for about nine days.
"I would like to save the last person needing rescue but unfortunately that's not going to happen," said Battalion Chief Robert Brinson.
The local team, formally known as N.C. Search and Rescue Task Force 9, is one of multiple strategically placed Search and Rescue teams throughout the state to assist with swift water and other specialized rescue operations during times of natural disasters and other emergencies.
Task Force 9 deployed during Hurricane Matthew, assisting those here at home during the disaster.
"The first thing that goes through my mind is feeling sorry for them. We were working in Matthew here and deployed out for eight days to help in Lenoir County so we were dealing with the same issue definitely not to that scale with our scale here impacted us almost as greatly as Houston," said Battalion Chief Robert Brinson.
The team trains several times a month and says they're well prepared to handle the rough flood waters in Houston, but their biggest concern is contaminated waters.
"I think it's the little things. I don't want people to get sick from contaminated waters, I don't want to get caught up in a situation where there is mass violence or some town looting or anything going on," said Chief Brinson.
