VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach welcomed a convoy of members of Urban Search and Rescue Virginia Task Force 2 Sunday evening.
The group was greeted by a small crowd before disembarking and sharing their experiences after a week-long trip to help in South Carolina as the remnants of Hurricane Debby passed through the area.
“Sometimes you come across people whose homes are cut off from the outside world. If they want to evacuate, we evacuate them. If they’ve had a power outage and they need medical attention, such as if they’re hooked up to an oxygen generator or some other medical device that requires power, we try to get into the neighborhoods quickly and find those people,” said Michael Hopkins, Virginia Beach Fire Department battalion chief and Virginia Task Force 2 program manager.
This time, the task force was in South Carolina to serve as an emergency response unit and assist with damage assessment. The trip was also extended as they stayed a few extra days in Berkley County, South Carolina, where they received nearly 20 inches of rain in a matter of hours.
“This (storm) didn’t bring quite as much wind and storm surge as some of the others, like Ian and Michael, but it did cause significant flooding in the area,” said Brian Sullivan, task force leader.
The deployment was just the latest in a long list of operations. They respond to all types of disasters, from weather events to building collapses to earthquakes.
“That’s actually why the urban search and rescue program started: earthquakes. In 1989, there was the Loma Prieta earthquake in San Francisco,” Hopkins explained.
And they are happy when you call on them to help when they are needed.
“It’s a great feeling to be able to help. Not only for the citizens, but also for the local fire departments. We are a force multiplier for them and can really help them so they can focus on operations and take care of their own people who are affected by the storm,” said Sullivan.
The team is comprised of firefighters from across Virginia, paramedics, and other specialty responders. It is part of FEMA’s Urban Search Rescue Team and Virginia Task Force 2 is based in Virginia Beach.
