After a multi-day deployment to flood-devastated Kentucky, Ohio Task Force 1 returned home Friday afternoon.Their mission is complete. Forty-seven members, along with two K-9s, arrived at the task force’s headquarters in Vandalia around 11 a.m.They were deployed to Kentucky on Sunday after deadly flood waters swept through parts of the state. Fourteen people died, and thousands more had to be rescued.Ohio Task Force 1 spent much of their time in Martin County.”It was busy and cold,” Rescue Team Manager Mike Lotz said. “This was unique in the fact that we don’t normally do these types of operations when it’s in single digits. It created some challenges.””On Monday we got some sunshine, and it wasn’t quite as cold,” Task Force Leader Jim O’Connor said. “Then our next two days of search efforts, we were right back in snow and some more adverse conditions. It made our moving a little bit slower but we were still able to make things work and get our missions accomplished.” When the team touched down in the Bluegrass State, they were met by icy cold conditions. They had boats in the water and started their rescue operations by Sunday evening. “It’s the third time we’ve been to Kentucky in as many years,” Lotz said. “We’re happy to go down and help out.”On Monday, Ohio Task Force 1 teamed up with the Kentucky Air National Guard and State Police to use boats and helicopters to evacuate an apartment complex.”We were operating in places where water is not supposed to be,” Lotz said. “I would gamble to say that the river level on the one area we were working was at least 20 to 30ft above normal limits.”During their time in Kentucky, the team saw some of the worst hit areas. They worked from sunup to sundown and on little sleep. The frigid temperatures made their already time-sensitive dangerous job even more critical. After all that work, the team will get some must needed rest. “It always feels terrific to return home. One of the things that felt terrific yesterday was a warm shower for my crews. We had a lot of busy days and didn’t get some of those type of things,” O’Connor said. “No complaints about it. We were happy to do it. When you get to the end, some of those nice things, I just feel terrific and now get back home to our families always feels wonderful.”The team is excited to be home but are ready to go when the next disaster strikes. Along with serving as the Rescue Team Manager, Mike Lotz is also a member of the Cincinnati Fire Department.
After a multi-day deployment to flood-devastated Kentucky, Ohio Task Force 1 returned home Friday afternoon.
Their mission is complete.
Forty-seven members, along with two K-9s, arrived at the task force’s headquarters in Vandalia around 11 a.m.
They were deployed to Kentucky on Sunday after deadly flood waters swept through parts of the state. Fourteen people died, and thousands more had to be rescued.
Ohio Task Force 1 spent much of their time in Martin County.
“It was busy and cold,” Rescue Team Manager Mike Lotz said. “This was unique in the fact that we don’t normally do these types of operations when it’s in single digits. It created some challenges.”
“On Monday we got some sunshine, and it wasn’t quite as cold,” Task Force Leader Jim O’Connor said. “Then our next two days of search efforts, we were right back in snow and some more adverse conditions. It made our moving a little bit slower but we were still able to make things work and get our missions accomplished.”
When the team touched down in the Bluegrass State, they were met by icy cold conditions. They had boats in the water and started their rescue operations by Sunday evening.
“It’s the third time we’ve been to Kentucky in as many years,” Lotz said. “We’re happy to go down and help out.”
On Monday, Ohio Task Force 1 teamed up with the Kentucky Air National Guard and State Police to use boats and helicopters to evacuate an apartment complex.
“We were operating in places where water is not supposed to be,” Lotz said. “I would gamble to say that the river level on the one area we were working was at least 20 to 30ft above normal limits.”
During their time in Kentucky, the team saw some of the worst hit areas. They worked from sunup to sundown and on little sleep.
The frigid temperatures made their already time-sensitive dangerous job even more critical.
After all that work, the team will get some must needed rest.
“It always feels terrific to return home. One of the things that felt terrific yesterday was a warm shower for my crews. We had a lot of busy days and didn’t get some of those type of things,” O’Connor said. “No complaints about it. We were happy to do it. When you get to the end, some of those nice things, I just feel terrific and now get back home to our families always feels wonderful.”
The team is excited to be home but are ready to go when the next disaster strikes.
Along with serving as the Rescue Team Manager, Mike Lotz is also a member of the Cincinnati Fire Department.
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