SANDSTON, Va. — The Virginia Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team (HART), made up of a Virginia National Guard Black Hawk helicopter crew and Chesterfield Fire Scuba Rescue Team members, left Virginia for Florida on Tuesday. There they will help following the arrival of Hurricane Milton.
"I think it’s so important that we respond the way we are, and I want to thank all of you for going,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R - Virginia) said to HART crew members before they left. "I know you will do what you’ve been professionally trained to do so well. Most importantly, there are going to be some people who need your help. It’s going to be a big storm. There’s a real need, so I appreciate all of you who put a hand up and said ‘send me.’”
It's been a busy month for the HART.
It most recently deployed to Southwest Virginia to rescue people after Hurricane Helene.
“Helping anyone in our time of need is why we’re here,” HART pilot Capt. Charles Jackson said. “Going down to Florida, it’s different from what we operate in, and there are unknowns about what it’s going to look like down there. At the end of the day it’s about helping people, so we’re happy to do it.”
“This is an elite team. Everyone on this team is top-notch, and I’m happy to be working with them,” Chesterfield Fire & EMS Rescue Technician Tyler Younce said. “Having the opportunity to go down to Florida and potentially save lives, that’s the goal. The bond we share with the aviators from the National Guard is second to none. We train with these guys and we’re one big family. We’ve got their backs and they have ours.“
Last month's rescue missions in Southwest Virginia were the team's first real-world rescue missions since they started training together.
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