While the local area is outside of the track of Hurricane Helene, emergency crews from Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties are getting in place to assist residents to the east.
This is standard practice, said Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore.
“We always do our prep as if we were going to be impacted by a direct hit,” he said. “And then once we see that we're in the clear, we start prepping to send, resources wherever need be to help out our partners across the state.”
READ MORE: Local updates and closures
Escambia is hosting two federal Urban Search and Rescue teams from Indiana and Texas, with about 80 personnel in each team.
“As soon as the impacts are felt and the storm's gone through the area, the crews can roll in,” Gilmore explained.
The crews include rescue dogs and lots of equipment including generators, ice machines, tents, AC units, cots, 18-wheelers, and boats. Escambia is also hosting small water rescue teams out of Mississippi and Texas, which will be deployed Friday morning.
READ MORE: Hurricane Helene updates from FPREN
Escambia emergency crews are headed to Liberty County with the county’s mobile command unit, THOR, alongside crew from Santa Rosa County and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
“While they'll be doing the law enforcement piece, our team will be doing the emergency management piece, helping out near EOC, and getting resources in and coordinating,” said Gilmore. “So it's going to be a big Escambia county effort to help out.”
Escambia County’s Animal Search and Rescue, or ASAR, team is also on stand-by.
Assisting neighboring areas is part of emergency management, said Gilmore. You never know when you’ll be the one making the request.
“It's important for us to go help out when we're not impacted ones,” he said. “God forbid we get impacted, then everybody is going to reciprocate.”
It’s also an opportunity to better emergency operations, said Gilmore.
“We learn every time we go to a disaster,” he added. “We see what happened or what transpired, and then we come back here and make sure we don't have those gaps. It just makes our county stronger, it makes our plan stronger, and it makes how we do business here stronger because no two storms are the same and no two disasters the same.”
The urge to help in a disaster is real not just for emergency personnel, but for those watching and listening to the news at home. Gilmore advises anyone wanting to help to have a plan.
“What I ask is if you want to help out and do something — just showing up to an area is not the answer,” he said. “Sometimes that does create a disaster within a disaster.”
Instead, Gilmore suggests joining the efforts of a civic organization or church that is helping with clean-up efforts. Or look for a volunteer reception center so you can be placed where the biggest needs are. Monetary donations will also be in great need. Two organizations Gilmore suggests are the United Way and the American Red Cross.
And while Helene doesn’t pose a major threat to the panhandle, hurricane season continues through Nov. 30. Gilmore doesn’t miss a beat reminding people to be prepared and listen to the advice of emergency officials.
“Listen to the officials,” he said. “We do have a good system. We are tied in with the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center, and we're all talking together and trying to get the best information to make the best decisions possible.”
