HARTFORD – Gov. Ned Lamont Friday announced that he has approved a request for Connecticut to deploy an urban search and rescue team to assist the State of North Carolina in its response and recovery efforts to Hurricane Helene.
Coordinated by the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, a team of eight people consisting of state and local volunteers who are specially trained in search and rescue, including swiftwater rescue, have been organized for this mission. The team, which recently returned from a similar mission in Vermont, departed Connecticut on Friday evening and are expected to remain in North Carolina for seven days.
The deployment of this urban search and rescue team comes in addition to the deployment of a Connecticut National Guard unit that departed for North Carolina on Friday morning. That unit consists of a five-soldier flight crew from the 1-169th Aviation Regiment, as well as one CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
“Hurricane Helene has caused extensive damage down south and Connecticut stands ready to help in the recovery efforts,” Lamont said. “I thank the volunteers from this urban search and rescue team for their swift response.”
Both deployments are occurring under the authorization of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a nationwide system for affected states to request lifesaving resources when the need arises. EMAC is implemented by the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security on behalf of the governor.
