Harford County emergency personnel helped with recovery operations in North Carolina following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, providing knowledge on emergency recovery and hands-on assistance in rescue operations.

“We’ve all seen the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, so when the call came for help, Harford County was proud to answer,” County Executive Bob Cassilly said in a county news release.

The team — including one emergency planner from the Department of Emergency Services and three deputies from the Sheriff’s Office — arrived in Rutherford County, North Carolina on Sept. 30. Rutherford County was one of the many areas of the state that faced extensive infrastructure damage to its water and sewer systems and its power grid after the hurricane hit in late September.

Upon arrival, Harford personnel engaged in numerous rescue missions spanning from mountaintops to rivers and a variety of buildings across the county.

“The Harford County team has been so vitally important to our recovery. I don’t think we could have done this without them,” said Kerry Giles, public information officer for Rutherford County.

The Harford team helped establish a unified command at an emergency operations center that enhanced communication and coordination among law enforcement, the fire department, search and rescue teams, National Guard representatives and local government officials. The team also oversaw daily incident operations where they guided local officials through the process of identifying the needs for, and requesting necessary supplies for recovery efforts.

“They set structure, clarified roles within the emergency operation center and lifted the burden off our own emergency management staff so they could deal with problems that were quickly arising,” Giles said in the release. “Their knowledge, understanding and experience have been invaluable.”