JANESVILLE — Two members of the Janesville Fire Department currently are in North Carolina as part of Wisconsin’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, known as Wisconsin Task Force 1.
Janesville Fire Battalion Chief Josh Ueker and Lt. Brian Barnish left Friday to assist in response and recovery efforts due to flooding left by Hurricane Helene.
“Wisconsin Task Force 1 is a state asset with specialized training and capabilities that not only helps protect Wisconsin communities, it can also respond throughout the country,” said Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator Greg Engle. “States supporting one another during natural disasters or emergencies is a core emergency management value and helps make us a more resilient nation.”
Members of WI-TF1 loaded trailers Friday night prior to their departure to North Carolina.
The team brought specialized equipment and supplies to assist with search and rescue, including boats, water rescue gear and communications equipment.
The task force members arrived in North Carolina late Saturday. They are currently assisting with searches in the western portion of the state.
North Carolina made the request through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which is a nationwide mutual aid system. They requested WI-TF1 for seven days, but the request may be shortened or lengthened based on need.
WI-TF1 is made of first responders from fire departments across the state. The 16 members that were deployed were from the following fire departments: Appleton, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Janesville, La Crosse, Neenah/Menasha, Oshkosh and Superior.
