The Brief
A northern Virginia search and rescue team deployed to Texas to help following disastrous flooding in the state has returned home.
FEMA called on the group to assist in the wake of the disaster.
The team included firefighters from across Fairfax County and one civilian.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) called on a group of northern Virginia search and rescue members for help in Texas.
Now, that crew has returned home from their mission to save lives in the hard-hit state.
What we know
The Virginia Task Force One’s Urban Search and Rescue team is back home after more than two weeks in Texas.
The team assisted with search and rescue efforts after the devastating rainfall that killed more than 100 people.
The team included firefighters from across Fairfax County and one civilian.
Dig deeper
The group returned home Monday morning, landing at Dulles International Airport after providing vital assistance to first responders in the wake of the recent deadly flooding in Texas. They’re back safe and sound with stories they’ll always remember.
"One gentleman in particular came out to see us as we were crossing through the backyard of his property and he shared with us a story that his kids and grandkids were in a small cabin on his property right next to the river at 4 a.m. in the morning," Virginia Task Force One Search Team Manager Marc Campet said. "They got chased out by high-water. It was an emotional event for him. It was emotional for us. We spent some time with him a few minutes and then we pressed on to the next task."
Campet is a search team manager for Virginia’s Task Force One. He’s one of four members who returned home safely this morning and is back at Task Force One’s Fairfax County Chantilly headquarters.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department tells FOX 5, the group spent 17 days deployed for the Texas floods.
FOX 5 was told each task force member had a K-9 with them. The group hit the ground running, implementing land searches and boat-based searches with K-9s.
The tragic and deadly flooding’s aftermath was already a week in before the team was called out apparently by FEMA to help.
"Everybody wants to bring closure for families and, obviously, we're down there as well trying to bring closure to the families. You want to find that needle in the haystack. I think they said it's about 60 miles of shoreline, so you're trying to find two to three people that we're still missing," Search Team Manager Kristi Bartlett said.
On July 11, FEMA activated Virginia Task Force 1 to support the response to the Texas floods.
What's next
Three canines and a search manager all departed at a moment’s notice. One of the K-9s just received their K-9 certification examination for FEMA on June 5.
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