By InsideNoVa Staff
This article was republished with permission from FXBG Advance’s news partner InsideNoVa.com. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
Swift water rescue teams from Prince William and Stafford counties deployed to southwestern Virginia on Thursday ahead of potential catastrophic flooding this weekend from the remnants of Hurricane Helene.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management activated Prince William County’s team at 8 p.m. Wednesday, sending members to Norton, near Big Stone Gap in the far southwestern part of the state. The group left from the Prince William Public Safety Training Center at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Team members include six swift water technicians and swift water boat operators, along with a battalion chief.
“The team is equipped and trained to perform water rescues in all types of situations including hurricane flood waters,” said Prince William County fire and rescue Chief Matt Smolsky.
Stafford County Fire and Rescue’s swift water team also deployed Thursday morning for southwestern Virginia, with eight members to assist impacted areas.
The VDEM validated the county’s team earlier this year and this is its first deployment.
“Our swift water team is second to none, and we know that should the need arise in southwestern Virginia or beyond, they will provide the very best service to anyone they encounter,” said Stafford County Fire Chief Joseph A. Cardello. “It was a tremendous team effort getting the team out the door. Thank you to all who assisted in making this possible.”
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