WEST JORDAN, Utah — In response to the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene, dozens of Utah personnel from various agencies will mobilize to the southeast as part of Utah Task Force One to assist those impacted by the storm.
On Friday, local members of the task force made preparations for their deployment to go and help where they're needed.
The team includes firefighters and three K-9 teams that packed up vans and trucks with necessary gear before hitting the road for a 27-hour trip to Atlanta.
When Utah Task Force One arrives, they are equipped to handle almost everything.
"The disciplines are far reaching: trench collapse, building collapse, confined space, rescue, recovery. It it covers everything that any type of need within that disaster that you could come across," said Capt. Tony Barker with the Unified Fire Authority.
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Barker added that the task force being deployed this late in the season shows the magnitude of the damage caused by the hurricane.
Some of the departments represented in Utah Task Force One include Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, and West Valley City fire departments.
While the task force's assignment is for two weeks, Barker said it could be longer or shorter depending on the need.
