When Disaster Hits, Heroes Do the Right Thing
When hurricane Joaquin caused record flooding in South Carolina, emergency crews from neighboring states mobilized to lend a hand. Two teams from the Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue Department in Tennessee were on scene in Columbia to deal with the worst of the flooding. During the storm, the teams rescued 21 people and 6 dogs. They spent time going to door to door and checking on residents, and assisted the National Guard in running missions to help flood victims retrieve medications and other essentials from their devastated homes.
Team 2’s leader, Josh Oliver, told the Daily News Journal, “It was a truly humbling experience. Everyone was thankful for our assistance and very generous. The people of Georgetown and Columbia, South Carolina will always have a special place in our hearts.”
Even after the teams were demobilized and on their way home, they never stopped doing their duty. After four days of constant rescue efforts and little sleep, Team 2 was sent home on October 10. On their way through Conway, a multi-vehicle crash occurred that left a vehicle coming to rest on the front fender of their MFRD rescue truck.
Not a single one of the tired rescuers hesitated. The emergency crew swung into action, extricating one victim from a damaged vehicle and providing emergency medical care to other victims. The crew worked tirelessly to stabilize the crash victims until local first responders arrived. Their quick response undoubtedly saved lives that day.
Michaela and James Schrader were behind the MFRD rescue truck in traffic that day. They posted a message to the department’s Facebook page that sums up our own thoughts pretty well:
“We just wanted to let you know that we are amazed and thankful for how your personnel handled the situation. Within seconds of the accident they were on the scene and treating people. We have never seen such professionalism and teamwork. If God forbid, we were ever in an accident I would want a team like them to be there for us. They were truly amazing! Please pass along our thoughts and prayers to everyone that was involved, you certainly have a fire department to be proud of!”
The victims of the accident in Conway were lucky to have such professional and tireless emergency responders on the scene. The MFRD has the gratitude and best wishes of everyone here at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC for their efforts both during and after the storm that devastated our state. Thank you for your help!
Randy is the former President of the South Carolina Association for Justice. He has been certified by the American Board of Professional Liability as a specialist in Medical Malpractice Law which is recognized by the South Carolina Bar. Randy has also been awarded the distinction of being a “Super Lawyer” 10 times in the last decade. He has over 25 years of experience helping injured people fight back against corporations, hospitals and wrong-doers.
Read more about S. Randall Hood