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WEST JORDAN — Members of Utah Task Force 1 arrived home Tuesday after an extended deployment in response to Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene.
The team, which expanded to 80 members, brought back approximately 80,000 pounds of life-saving equipment.
As the crew unpacked at their headquarters, they reflected on their challenging mission. "Hundreds, if not thousands of hours go into this," said Utah Task Force 1 Chief Bryan Case, emphasizing the extensive training and preparation involved.
During their deployment, the team utilized boats, canines and specialized equipment to assist in various rescue efforts, primarily in Unicoi County, Tennessee. "We moved around a lot, and it's been stressful," Tua Tho, a task force leader, said.
The team employed their technical skills while navigating hazardous conditions. "Those first few hours are precious, in a collapsed structure or someone who's trapped in a home and the water is rising," Case said. "Accessing things from a boat or being able to cut holes in buildings and access people and help evacuate them in a situation where they're trapped, whether on land or in water, that's what we're there to do."
The canine units played a crucial role, covering vast areas in search of missing individuals. One of the dogs is still working. "The canine team that's out in North Carolina, they have probably a few more days of work ahead," Tho said.
Before Hurricane Milton hit, FEMA had moved the team to Georgia.
"When people question what the FEMA footprint looks like and what is FEMA doing or not doing, I can tell you without question that FEMA always has, I mean, if we're ordered, if we're requested through the proper channels, we have a footprint and we're often there before these issues even take place," Case said.
He said several agencies and resources were in Florida by the time they arrived. "It wasn't really surprising to some of us that Florida was able to use a lot of their in-state resources to manage a lot of the tornado activity, the inundation with water, and the storm surge because that is perhaps the most well-prepared state in this country in terms of natural disasters," Case said.
Despite the devastation they witnessed, Case highlighted the kindness shown by affected communities. "We were very well received. The people were very gracious," he told KSL-TV.
After returning home, team members will take time to rest and rehabilitate both themselves and their equipment. "Now that we're home, we can actually decompress a little bit," Tho said.
However, with storms brewing in the Gulf of Mexico, the team remains vigilant and ready for another deployment.
"We'll rehab our people and rehab our equipment, and we'll be ready to go here in probably in a week," Case said.
