FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — First responders across North Carolina are standing by, waiting for the call for help from coast.
The Fayetteville Fire Department’s Search and Rescue Team have their trailers already loaded with nearly everything needed for a water search and rescue mission.
Assistant Chief Brian Mims with the Fayetteville Fire Department Search and Rescue Program said his rescue team is keeping a close eye on Hurricane Erin and its projected impacts on the coast.
First responders from the 73-member team are always ready to go at a moment’s notice.
“Closing up some doors, latching some latches, and making sure everything is topped off with fuel and personnel [can] get in there with gear to get loaded,” Mims said. “Then we can hit the road.
“[We don’t] know the full impact the state is going to feel, but we’re ready put our access on the road to help the citizens of North Carolina where needed,” he said.
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To stay ready, the team goes through intense certification processes and training at Fayetteville Tech Community College’s Swift Water Rescue Training Center.
“On average, we are training every other month for eight hours a day,” Mims said.
Fayetteville’s Search and Rescue Team spent weeks in western North Carolina last year, assisting with search and rescue missions following the devastation of Hurricane Helene. They are now ready to respond to the potential impacts from another hurricane.
“We never know where the storms are going to impact,” Mims said. “They can turn, shift, or wobble just a little bit and change any type of impact that was previously projected. Stay vigilant and have your emergency kit prepared.”
