VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Members of the Virginia Beach-based Virginia Task Force 2 (VATF-2) are in Vermont supporting local and federal teams in the wake of heavy storms and flooding in the region.
The Virginia Beach Fire Department said a team of eight emergency responders from VATF-2 arrived in Lebanon, Vermont, on Monday afternoon. Two additional members were also activated and arrived in Vermont later Monday evening.
Captain Jon Rigolo from Virginia Beach Fire Department said his team is working long hours searching flooded structures and helping the local fire departments respond to flooded areas that need evacuation.
VATF-2 is one of 28 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Teams across the country. The Virginia Beach Fire Department is VATF-2's sponsoring agency, which has conducted search and rescue operations in the aftermath of numerous disasters, including tornado and flooding responses in Kentucky, several hurricanes in Puerto Rico and along the U.S. Gulf Coast, and Surfside, Florida following a condo collapse in 2021.