Sunday morning, Guymon Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue team was contacted by Oklahoma Emergency Management to deploy to Louisiana to assist and aid in specialized rescues resulting from Hurricane Ida. Fire Chief Grant Wadley stated, “We were contacted by the State Emergency Management Office at 9:30am Sunday morning, our team of 5 Rescue Water Technicians and boats were packed, and on the road by 2:30pm that afternoon”.
It seems strange that Guymon would have an advanced Swift water team out here in the Panhandle, but over the past 10-years they have been deployed to several events. During Hurricane Katrina they deployed to Houston and performed multiple water rescues there. They were deployed and involved in the flooding events in Kingfisher, Tulsa, and Stillwater just to name a few in recent years. Guymon Swift Water team also is experienced in Ice Rescue and are prepared for these type rescues in the winter months.
The Guymon Fire Department Swift Water Team are first heading to Baton Rouge and teaming up with Oklahoma Task Force 1 who are already there. They will be part of a larger specialized team of Swift Water rescue members from the Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas. “Guymon’s Swift Water Team are all Firefighters, Paramedics, and Swift Water Rescue Technicians which make us very well rounded to handle a large assortment of specialized rescues and take on additional assignments when they are down there”, said Chief Wadley.
Guymon Fire Department has 3 boats, specialized suits and equipment for water rescues, and each member is specially trained for situations such as this. As conditions change, rescues change, and weather changes Team members adapt and continue to carry out the mission of saving lives the very best they can.
The Guymon Fire Department Swift Water team is expected to be deployed for 14-day, but as conditions change and improve they will return sooner.
