Water Rescue Crews Preparing For Potentially Busy Week In DFW
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Heavy rain on Sunday, May 16, led to dozens of water rescues in Dallas alone.
With more rain in the forecast, rescue crews are preparing for what could be a busy week.
Dallas Fire-Rescue has its swift water rescue vehicle loaded and ready to go from Station 35 - complete with two boats hooked up to a fire-rescue truck.
It's one of the many ways the department is prepping for worst-case scenarios with the ground already saturated from Sunday's rain.
Crews responded to 66 high water or swift water rescue incidents Sunday and Monday. Fifty-three of those came between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
In addition to preparing for rescues in the Metroplex, the Texas Task Force One Water Rescue Team is getting ready to deploy throughout the state.
They'll meet with local rescue teams and be poised to answer calls the minute the waters rise.
Captain Charlie Abney is one of six Dallas Swift Water Rescue techs who will travel wherever necessary.
He also said a second swift water team was added to DFR last year.
"So now we have a swift water team up here on the Northwest side and one in the Southeast side at station 34, and that's just due to the high number of water rescue calls that we've had over the years to be able to get to people quickly," he said. "Seconds really do matter on water rescues. Once they get into a bad situation, it's vital that we get there as quick as possible."
He also said they can dedicate a station to answer only water calls. He anticipates that, by late Monday night, that's what they'll be doing.
