Firefighters from five Pulaski County Departments joined Rolla City Fire Department personnel Saturday night in an emergency mutual aid response to the Joplin and Neosho areas following tornados that devastated southwest Missouri and adjacent states, but were cancelled while on their way to the scene.
Despite the false start, Waynesville Rural Fire Chief Doug Yurecko said the effort was useful training. Pulaski County was a recipient of emergency aid from other fire departments following ice storms in December 2006 and January 2007, and St. Robert Fire Chief Fraley said local departments have been looking for an opportunity to help others in need.
More than a dozen Missourians died in Saturday evening’s tornados, with massive damage to buildings and other structures. After state officials called for help, Capt. Ron Smith of the Rolla City Fire Department asked Fraley to assemble a team of firefighters who would be able to help with emergencies such as people trapped in buildings, outdoor search and rescue, and evaluation of the stability of partly collapsed buildings.
Fraley, who serves as the Pulaski County contact for statewide disaster response, asked the Pulaski County 911 Center to page all fire departments in the county to come to their fire stations and identify personnel with special training in those skills. Within an hour, Fraley assembled a team of seven people from his own St. Robert departments as well as the Waynesville, Tri-County, Crocker and Hazelgreen rural fire districts who has special training or experience in the required skills—in many cases, firefighters who had originally acquired those skills while serving in the military at Fort Leonard Wood or other military installations.
Crocker firefighters sent a command vehicle, Waynesville sent a fire engine, and several departments loaded a trailer with a wide variety of rescue equipment that might be needed including the Jaws of Life, airbags to lift up collapsed walls and pull people out, extra lighting, power generators, and enough food and water to be self-sustaining for at least three days if needed.
“Before we selected our team, we looked at their rank, their training and their certifications,” Fraley said. “Because we are doing this with several departments, we are not depleting any of our departments, personnel-wise, and we’re fully ready to respond to any emergencies.”
The Pulaski County team left about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, met Rolla firefighters at a Waynesville exit on Interstate 44, and were expected to be at the sheriff’s office in Neosho by early Sunday morning.
Lt. Billy Ellis of the Hazelgreen Rural Fire Protection District said he lived in Monett when the Pierce City tornado destroyed that community in 2003 and he’s looking forward to the chance to help another community in need.
“That’s what I’m trained for,” Ellis said. “I hope we can save people’s lives; I’ll do my best.”
Firefighter Josh Hall of the Crocker Rural Fire Protection District agreed.
“I’m just wanting to help,” Hall said.
While nobody wants to see a disaster hit their community or anywhere else, Fraley said he expects that the real-life experience the Pulaski County team will receive would help local firefighters be better prepared to respond to civilian disasters that might hit Pulaski County or surrounding areas in the future.
“I don’t have much information other than that they are pretty devastated down there and they already have fatalities,” Fraley said. “But this (joint response) is good for the county, it’s a county-wide response and it’s good for all of us to learn how we can help each other out.”
What none of the firefighters expected was to get a call as they were on the road to Neosho cancelling the request for assistance. Yurecko said state officials determined that so many firefighters were volunteering to help that the Pulaski County effort, while appreciated, was no longer needed.