Montgomery County Rescue Teams Help in Hurricane Matthew Response

ROCKVILLE, MD — In a warehouse off Dover Road in Rockville, dozens of Montgomery County fire and rescue crews checked in and packed up Thursday to head south to help with the Hurricane Matthew response.

The Montgomery County firefighters were initially to be sent to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia, but they were rerouted to Columbia, SC

These men and women are part of Maryland Task Force 1, an Urban Search and Rescue Team activated by FEMA to help the southern states respond to the massive storm. There are only 28 such FEMA teams in the country, according to Pete Piringer, a spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services.

In addition to the search and rescue team members, Piringer said, Montgomery County sent incident support team members and hazardous materials specialists at the request of FEMA. They are accompanied by a civilian physician and K9 handlers. They left Montgomery County in a caravan of vehicles, including tractor trailers packed with equipment and supplies.

“These firefighters bring a whole wealth of resources on many levels,” said Piringer, noting that the paramedics and firefighters who are members of this team are highly trained. “They bring a lot of technical expertise: technical rescue, collapse rescue, high angle rescue, water rescue."

The crews packed everything they might need for ten to 14 days. That includes tents for accommodations, food and medicine.
— By Montgomery Community Media

»Photos, video by Pete Piringer, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services