MADISON, Ala. — Captain Dan Pickens with Madison Fire and Rescue says this hurricane season has been a busy one. "This has been a very busy year for us. We've been more deployed this year than many years in the past," Pickens shares. "That's just nature, just mother nature. What it does, you know, we can't predict them. We just can be prepared when it happens."
As Florida prepares for yet another hurricane, local agencies are preparing to help. 'We love the job, but most of these firefighters, they love saving lives. They love being there for people," Pickens shares. "Being able to do this provides states that are going to be out of resources. They're there's no way that one department in Florida can handle all of this. So, us being able to send people to those resources is a big plus for us. We enjoy that.'
Madison Fire and Rescue has deployed six of its own to Tallahassee, Florida, along with personnel from Fort Payne, Decatur and Guntersville to assist in hurricane Milton relief efforts. "They're joining up with Alabama Task Force One. They will be staging at Tallahassee until the storm passes," Pickens shares. "They will be dispatched from that staging location to whatever resources are needed or whatever emergencies arise."
Pickens says the crew goes through extensive training to prepare, but he expects a big part of their role will be on water. "From our from the beginning of our career, we go to classes to make ourselves eligible for this different type to get on these different teams," Pickens shares. "So, there is a curriculum we follow. They have to go through confined space. They go through structural collapse; they do rope rescues wanting to they do hazardous technician. So, all these classes continue to grow with each other to be more of a specialty type unit. We sent with a lot of water capabilities so, we will probably be a large percentage on water as well. They have all the equipment to do that. The boats to get in, the equipment to rescue if needed."
With part of the team out assisting in Florida, operations back home will feel the absence. "It also puts a little stress on your staffing needs around here locally, so our guys try to help out work overtime as needed to backfill those vacancies," Pickens shares. "So, it is a sacrifice for those guys."
The team is scheduled to stay and help out in Florida for 10 days, but storm severity could impact the time away.