Dagsboro firefighters answer the call to help NC community
DAGSBORO, Del. – A crew of Delmarva heroes answered the call for help from our neighbors down south after dealing with damage from a once-in-a-lifetime storm. Our neighbors to the south asked for help and it was our firefighters who came to their aid.
Delaware DEMA and the State Fire School sent crews to North Carolina as part of a four team task force and today they returned home.
Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Company was one of many crews from Sussex County who spent five days in the thick of things doing what they could to help.
“When you get asked for help, you want to help. So it doesn’t matter politics, north or south, black or white, it doesn’t matter. We’re all there to try and help pick up the pieces because we’re dealing with human life,” says Matthew Gajdos of the Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Company.
A crew of four firefighters from the Dagsboro VFD didn’t hesitate when asked to lend a helping hand.
And so they joined the hundreds of first responders and emergency crews who rushed to communities under water nearly decimated by Hurricane Florence.
“There were people being evacuated. The flood was worse than expected so a lot of the shelters they had set up actually had to be evacuated as well, so you know they weren’t on plan B they were on plan C, D and E.”
The crew had no idea what they we’re getting into, but it was clear when they made it to Fayetteville, North Carolina why they were there.
“Where we went, it was basically a waiting game to see how high the water was going to get from the different rivers in the area,” explains Gajdos.
“It was just like a whole other boost of energy knowing that this is the real deal they’re in trouble and they need help,” recalls Dagsboro Fire Chief John Marvel.
They went right to work clearing roadways, helping cover calls, and assisting on water and medical rescues.
Gajdos explains, “They were exhausted. They were waterlogged. You could tell that they had had days of long shifts and little sleep.”
“They told me and my crew that we needed to be self sufficient for five days, so any nook and cranny on that truck that we could shove a case of water or a case of MREs it was going, “ says Marvel.
It was surreal, hard work, but humbling. An experience they’ll never forget and always remember.
“As the fire chief it made me feel really good that within 12 hours I was able to put what I classify as a four person decent crew that I would take back in a heart beat.”
“It’s an experience I think I’m going to remember for the rest of my life and we’re happy we were able to make just a little bit of an impact where we could to help people.”
They tell 47 ABC their help didn’t go unnoticed throughout their time in Fayetteville. Community members gave them home-cooked meals, supplies and thank yous time and time again.
Since this is the first time any of them have experienced a disaster to this magnitude, the crew now has a new appreciation, knowledge, and awareness of what would take place if, God forbid, anything like this happened on Delmarva.
Crews from Frankford, Bridgeville, Lewes, Felton and others also sent people to help.
