Community Corner
Hurricane Ian Victims Will Get Help From Volunteering Montco EMS
EMS personnel from the North Penn community recently headed to Florida in support of Hurricane Ian relief efforts.
LANSDALE, PA — Some EMS workers from a Montgomery County-based ambulance service recently traveled down to the Sunshine State to help citizens as they grapple with the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian.
On Tuesday, two members of VMSC Emergency Medical Services based in Lansdale traveled to Florida to help with hurricane relief efforts.
Paramedic Jay Hughes and EMT Rich Roberts were deployed as part of a national effort of EMS services to help with FEMA resources as residents of Florida deal with the aftermath of Ian.
Find out what's happening in Montgomeryville-Lansdalefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"Please join us in wishing Paramedic Hughes and EMT Roberts a safe journey," VMSC said in a news release. "Our thoughts are with all of those affected by Hurricane Ian, and we are proud to support the ongoing relief efforts."
According to the ambulance organization, a nationwide EMS agency called American Medical Response helps to coordinate deployment of ambulance personnel nationwide to aid in disaster response and relief in times of national crisis.
Find out what's happening in Montgomeryville-Lansdalefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
This week's Florida deployment will be VMSC's first since becoming an AMR/FEMA resource, the organization said.
The deployment is expected to last up to about 14 days, as Floridians deal with the aftermath of the strong storm.
The ambulance service said that Lansdale and North Penn-area residents would not be impacted by the deployment, since VMSC will continue its normal 911 EMS services throughout the community.
"We remain ready to serve our communities here at home while also providing support to those that are hit with these uncontrolled events," the organization stated.
Hughes and Roberts were sent to the Orlando area, which was one of the places in Florida hit hard by the hurricane this week.
Florida's west coast, however, seems to have taken the most hit from the storm, which made landfall in the southwestern Florida areas near Fort Myers Beach and surrounding communities.
As of a little after 8 p.m. Thursday, the powerful storm was blamed for about 15 deaths in Florida.
Related: Hurricane Ian: 2.1 M Without Power, Death Toll Climbs, 'It Crushed Us'
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