Tennessee Fire Fighters Need Immediate Assistance Post-Flood
May 10, 2010 -- As the Southeast begins to dry out following
severe flooding over
the past week, the IAFF and its affiliates are working to provide swift
financial and other assistance.
Beginning Saturday May 1, some areas of the Southeast were hit with 13 inches of
rain over a two day period, resulting in severe flooding. Tennessee, where more
than 30 citizens died, was hit the worst. Additionally, hundreds of citizens’
homes and at least 42 IAFF members’ homes were affected in Nashville alone.
“Despite the magnitude of the devastation caused by the flooding, the national
media has not reported on it adequately to the rest of the nation,” says IAFF
General President Harold Schaitberger.
“While the IAFF will be doing its part in providing assistance to our members,
this union will also be educating others on the devastation and need for
assistance,” states Schaitberger.
“Our members were out there for an exhaustive number of hours performing so many
rescues that they lost count,” says IAFF 14th District Vice President Danny
Todd. “Certainly, we will be doing everything we can to provide the assistance
they need for a fast recovery.”
“Typically, we receive 300 emergency calls into our 39 fire stations on any
given day, but that Sunday – May 2 – we received more than 1,500,” reports
Nashville Local 140 President Gary Moore. “Using various boats and flotation
devices, fire fighters responded to people trapped in cars, apartments, homes
and trees. It was nothing like any of us had ever seen.”
On one occasion in Nashville, fire fighters responded to an apartment complex
where water was up to the tires. The water rose so quickly that before the fire
fighters could leave the fire engine, they became trapped and had to call in a
mayday.
A similar situation occurred in Shelby County when Local 2585 fire fighters were
en route to rescue a woman trapped in her car. Before they arrived at the scene,
the fire fighters’ engine was overturned over by swift waters.
Germantown Local 3858 fire fighters responded to the call for help. “It was too
dangerous for the Shelby County fire fighters to leave their engine unassisted,
so members of our locals’ swift water rescue team worked to pull everyone to
safety,” says Local 3858 President Tim Williams. “Meanwhile, other fire fighters
were dispatched to the original call for the trapped woman.”
The federal government has declared 42 Tennessee counties disaster areas, making
federal assistance available to citizens in those areas.
“My concern right now is making sure that those members who now have
flood-damaged homes are able to make the necessary repairs to make their
property livable,” says Moore, who explains that no one in Nashville has flood
insurance and many of his affected members have lost everything.
Moore says he’s heard from IAFF leadership and many members asking what they can
do to help. Basic supply, home reconstruction and other needs will be posted on
the local’s web site [www.iaff140.org] soon.
In addition to Nashville Local 140, IAFF affiliates in the flood zone include
the following Tennessee locals: Millington Local 3384, Bartlett 3583, Germantown
3858, Collierville 3864, Arlington 4218, Memphis 1784, Jackson 1850, Shelby
County 2585, Lexington 4781, Murfreesboro 3035, Dickson 3145, Clarksville 3180,
Hendersonville 3460, Franklin 3758, Wilson County 4238, Smyrna 4346, Columbia
4381, Gallatin 4501, Springfield 4510 and Spring Hill 4628.
