Severe weather over the past few months has meant work for the Morehead Swiftwater Rescue Team. Rowan County Emergency Management Director, Jarred Moore, has been a part of the team for a couple of years, and has traveled to a variety of missions across Kentucky.
Moore’s role, like the other six rescue technicians, varies depending on the situation the team is deployed to. Moore said whenever flooding happens, the state will reach out to see if anyone in the county is able to provide aid.
“I usually get that phone call which then starts the conversation with the Morehead Fire Department to see if we would be willing to deploy,” said Moore. “Whenever we deploy, I typically deploy as the squad boss which is just the person who makes all the communications as the point of contact for that team for the state and for the local resources that we are responding to.”
The farthest the team has responded to was Pike County in far southeastern Kentucky. Moore said when the team drives to rescue missions, they have techniques for passing closed or debris covered roads.
“We will put two of our swift water techs in their dry suits, ahead of our vehicle that we are in and we will walk in front of our vehicles using oars to scrape the road to make sure the roadway is still there below the flood water,” said Moore. “Now, of course, we are talking shallow flood waters. We are not talking of deep enough flood waters that could wash away our vehicles, but a lot of times that is our only way through and if we do not get through there, we are unable to complete the rescue.”
Weather can be very unpredictable, and Moore said the Morehead Fire Department has all the equipment and supplies they need for missions at the ready.
“As weather starts coming in or we think there is a chance of weather we will usually start a group text, and we will just be talking about the upcoming weather and the availability,” said Moore. “That way whenever the state reaches out to use to ask what the Morehead Fire Department’s availability would be for a 72-hour deployment, we already have that answer because we have already talked to one another, and we know who’s available for what days if it were to be a requested resource.”
Morehead Fire Chief Jeff Anderson has been a part of the crew for over 10 years and has watched the Swiftwater Team evolve.
“We are so lucky to have a team and the other teams in the county here with the 377 Fire Department and the Farmers Fire Department, which also have technicians that work with us,” said Anderson. “We are really the only team kind of in Eastern Kentucky until you go to Ashland. So, communities are starting to get it, but it takes time and takes money to build up a good team. I am just proud of them.”
Even though the team is always ready to deploy for rescue mission, Anderson said the best advice is for people to stay weather aware.
“If you live near a creek or river, you probably know what that is like but if you are new to that area then you need to listen up and ask your neighbors and just watch when you get a lot of amounts of rain or bad weather,” said Anderson. “There are so many resources with the internet, TVs and the weather seems like the weather is on all the time now so you can just keep up with it and be aware with what is happening around you.”
More information can be found on the Morehead Fire Department’s Facebook page.