SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – It’s a harsh reality that San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Aide Barbat and his Technical Rescue and Swift Water Rescue team are witnessing in Northern and Central California.
"People losing their homes, homes being flooded, property being destroyed. The potential for people losing their lives,” Barbat said.
The 16-member rescue crew headed up north on Sunday. They first arrived in Cameron Park, which is about 40 miles north of the scene in flooded Sacramento. On Tuesday, they were in Merced County.
"Some of these members on our team have been deployed to places like Hurricane Katrina or 9/11, tornadoes and stuff throughout the U.S., but something that seeing here in Northern California is something that we probably haven't seen I would say back in the 90s,” Barbat said.
But it's something that Barbat and his team, whether they're seasoned or new, are prepared for with daily, monthly and quarterly training.
"From our Technical Rescue team to our FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team as well as the OES water component of things. And then also on top of that during these events where we have these rains or when we know events like this are occurring or coming, they do some additional training,” Barbat said.
And that training's making all of the difference as they are in the midst of a 14-day commitment to helping these communities.
"We're prepared and ready to go at a moment's notice. So, our team's always ready. So, for us to get in there and see that, it's like, OK, we've trained for this. This is just another training day. Let's go out there and preform what we need to do save lives,’” Barbat said.
The 23-year-veteran of the department said the team is also using this as an opportunity for real-life training in those environments to be even more prepared.
