Local first responders have returned home after assisting their South Carolina neighbors in dealing with Tropical Storm Debby.
Firemen from Mountain Brook, Homewood, and Rocky Ridge made up the Alabama Task Force 2, which dispatched them to Ridgeville, SC, in anticipation of potential water rescues due to Debby’s severe rains. They patrolled a river with two swift water rescue boats and an off-road utility truck.
At one point, flood water surrounded the van’s occupants, and the team assisted them. Fortunately, they were able to evacuate everyone to safety.
Justin Coleman of the Mountain Brook Fire Department says they are grateful for the opportunity to assist individuals in need.
“Even though we’ve never met these other agencies and departments, when we come together and start working, it’s immediate. We all know exactly what the needs are and we all know what the goals are. We all know how to work together. It’s just great. They’ve taken good care of us up here. I hope that we never have that need but I know that if we do, we have neighbors close by that can help us,” Coleman, AL Task Force 2’s division leader said.
The task team collaborated with Dorchester County agencies and the South Carolina National Guard. We have received information that Task Force 2 deployed additional troops to Florida before activation, and they have since returned home.
