Lynchburg Fire Department assists other areas with storm response

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - The Lynchburg Fire Department is assisting other areas with storm response Tuesday, February 11.

At the direction of Governor Youngkin, nine members of the Lynchburg Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue team are being deployed to assist first responders in Southwest Virginia where snow and rainfall are expected to produce severe flooding and other issues within upcoming days.

The team will be stationed in Wytheville until their final deployment destinations have been determined, according to Lynchburg Fire Department.

Under the collaborative agreements with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), Lynchburg’s and other technical rescue teams from across the region can be deployed to assist other localities in times of natural disasters and other emergencies. All the costs associated with the deployment of a team are borne by the state and federal government as a result of Governor Youngkin’s Emergency Declaration.

Lynchburg Fire Chief Greg Wormser says, “Deployments of this type are part of what it means to be a first responder in the Commonwealth of Virginia. When one part of the state needs assistance, the rest of us are there to help. Our search and rescue teams are highly trained and are ready for just this kind of emergency.” Wormser noted that the deployments would not impact local service delivery and that adequate staffing remains to deal with emergencies in the City.