HOOVER, Ala. ( WIAT ) – Firefighters from several central Alabama fire departments are in the Florida panhandle, helping with the aftermath of Debby.
The fire departments in Hoover, Calera and Vestavia Hills make up part of the Alabama Mutual Aid System. The group is comprised of 52 teams throughout the state that can be called upon and deployed to help other regions and states impacted by natural disasters.
“It’s just loving your neighbor, right?” Hoover Fire Battalion Chief Tim Lawson said. “It’s helping your community.”
The Hoover Fire Department says two 16-person teams made up of firefighters from Hoover, Calera, Vestavia Hills and Mobile left for Florida on Saturday. The Vestavia Hills Fire Department says Monday, the teams began working their way north starting in Madison County, FL.
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“We have swift water teams that are Type 1, FEMA-type teams, that go and assist with everything from flooding to tree removal and specifically they just help ‘hey, where is the damage?’” Lawson said. “It’s damage assessment type help as well.”