Local crews arrive in Virginia for hurricane relief efforts

PULASKI, Vir. (WCBI)- Six Columbus firemen are settling in Wednesday after traveling nearly 600 miles to prepare for Hurricane Florence relief efforts.

Marco Rodriguez with Columbus Fire and Rescue spoke with us Wednesday. The crew is at a state park near Pulaski, Virginia.

“We are a state asset for Virginia. We are covering 5 counties here in this area. We have 42 personnel. We have 10 boat groups established and we have the support staff uphold that. We are on standby until the weather makes it here,” said Rodriguez.

Now that the team is there, the mission is seeming more real.

“Once we establish boat crews and started double checking our equipment and establishing communications with the local assets here that are going to be supporting us. Right now, the weather is actually pretty nice. It drizzled a little bit earlier. What we are seeing on the radar off the coast, compared to what we see here is two different things. Other than leaving our family behind, it just feels like another shift at work,” said Rodriguez.

Tupelo firefighters are also deployed with the same group in Pulaski, Virginia.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard have also sent personnel to various areas to help with Hurricane Florence relief.