The city of Charleston today announced the dispatch of Charleston Police and Fire Department personnel to parts of Georgetown and Horry Counties to assist with Hurricane Florence response efforts. In addition, the city’s Public Service department delivered 3,500 sandbags to Pawleys Island yesterday and will deliver another 1,500 today.
The Charleston Police Department will deploy 20 patrol officers with marked units and three command staff members including two lieutenants and one captain to Georgetown County to assist for a period of six days. Additionally, the department is providing a Mobile Command Post, Swift Water Rescue Team, airboat, and other marine units.
The Charleston Fire Department yesterday dispatched 16 personnel to staff three squad units equipped with light rescue equipment, saws, one small boat, and one supervisor vehicle. The group, currently staged on Pawleys Island and expected to remain on site through Friday, is coordinating its efforts with Pennsylvania and South Carolina Urban Search & Rescue teams, as well as with South Carolina Air National Guard personnel. One CFD team member will also assist in the position of Hazmat Tech and Communications Support.
Mayor John Tecklenburg said, “Here in Charleston, we were fortunate to be spared direct impacts from Hurricane Florence, but we are no strangers to the sort of damage that these storms can inflict. That’s why, without hesitation, our Police and Fire Departments volunteered to send personnel to assist our neighboring counties with response efforts as they brace for what could be historic flooding in the coming days.”