Colorado Emergency Crews Arrive In Carolinas For Hurricane Relief

PEMBROKE, NC – Forty-five Colorado emergency search and rescue experts have arrived in Pembroke, North Carolina to help with extreme weather conditions caused by the arrival of Hurricane Florence.

"Colorado Task Force One" (CO-TF1) is made up of fire and police personnel from several different Colorado agencies, organized by the West Metro Fire Rescue. Three members of the Arvada Fire Department are on the team.

The team has brought water rescue gear, including several small boats, for expected high-water surges and flooding that may stretch as far as 90 miles inland from the Atlantic coastline.

"There are a lot of areas that are very exposed, a lot of inlands," said Task Force Chief Steve Aseltine. Aseltine said reaching people who didn't evacuate would be made more difficult because "there is no infrastructure." The team is preparing for a challenge to reach areas "where we have to boat and work and things like that."

The team is getting ready for anything, including "rescues via boats, traveling through neighborhoods that are submerged in water," said Captain Sheryl West.

"We signed up for this, we're highly trained in this and we're the best at what we do," said Aseltine.

You can follow the team on social media with the hashtag #COFT1

Related: Hurricane Florence: Landfall Threatens Epic Rain; 80K Lose Power

Image via Aurora Firefighters Local

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