The Brief
Arizona Task Force 1 returned to Phoenix after a nearly month-long deployment in Central Texas, where they assisted with recovery efforts following deadly flooding.
The 49-member urban search and rescue team conducted extensive searches and assessments in the Kerrville area, with Task Force Leader Jason Rideout praising the resilience and strength of the local community.
PHOENIX - Arizona Task Force 1 (AZ-TF1) a FEMA urban search and rescue team, returned home Sunday night after spending nearly a month assisting with recovery efforts following deadly flooding in Central Texas.
What we know
The 49-member team, including five canine search units, deployed on July 8 and received a warm welcome from their families on July 27, who greeted them with balloons and signs.
Task Force Leader Jason Rideout spoke emotionally about the team's 20 days away from their families, assisting in the catastrophic flooding in the Kerrville, Texas, area. AZ-TF1 conducted wide-area searches, structural assessments and life-safety missions in coordination with federal and local agencies.
Upon their arrival, Rideout said they were dealing with reports of more than 150 missing people. The mission was to search everywhere, both on land and in the water, leaving no stone unturned.
When asked what he thinks the world needs to know about the Kerrville community, Rideout said, "Oh, they are strong. They're resilient. Seeing what they saw, seeing what they experienced. The humility that we have to be able to go into their backyard and to offer our assistance whatever we could. Whether it was a hug, whether it was a handshake. It was huge for us. The fact that we were invited into their backyard to be able to assist them coming all the way from Arizona. So that was huge."
Dig deeper
Rideout said their mission in Texas covered "a little over 12 and a half miles of riverbank, both sides of the river."
The first responders returned home Sunday, joyful but with heavy hearts.
"How can you not be? We're all human," Rideout said. "We're all part of the community … going to a decimated community like that was huge for us."
He described long days and nights, with the crew sleeping in tents initially.
Through these challenges, Rideout said his crew never lost sight of their mission.
"Our whole goal was no stone unturned as we were searching the river," he said.
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