Westport first responders traveled to help with hurricane relief in North Carolina earlier this month. This team of four, composed of three firefighters and one police officer, traveled to Asheville, North Carolina in order to help with communications, as loss of cell service is a big problem in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), over 60% of the state lost cell service during part of the hurricane.
“Some of the hardest-hit areas experienced a complete loss of cell service and traditional phone service,” Westport Fire chief Nick Marsan said. “Making communication to and from those areas critical. Our team did an outstanding job providing this vital assistance to the state of North Carolina.”
The Westport team utilized a vehicle called the Field-Comm 1, a mobile command service that can facilitate communication between agencies through radio communication and satellite since they can’t connect through cellular communication. Costs will also not be a factor for the Westport team as they will reimburse from an Emergency Management Assistance Compact with the state of North Carolina.
“Westport is proud to answer the call to help our neighbors in North Carolina during this challenging time,” First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker said in a statement. “Our highly skilled first responders are well-equipped to provide vital assistance in restoring essential communication infrastructure.”
Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Millton have caused immense damage throughout the southeastern United states in one of the most powerful hurricane seasons in decades. Over 230 deaths have been reported due to Hurricane Helene, and according to the United States Census Bureau’ Community resilience estimates, 20.2% of all North Carolina residents are living under a major disaster declaration.
“We believe in the importance of interstate cooperation during emergencies,” Marsan said. “Just as we were able to assist North Carolina, we know we can rely on our neighboring states and communities for support should we face a natural disaster that exceeds our own resources.”
