MANNY FANTIS
WUSA9
Reprinted with Permission

ROCKVILLE, Md. - (WUSA) Eighty specially trained search and rescue firefighters left Rockville for New England Thursday night, deployed there by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to stand by for potential damage caused by the soon to arrive Hurricane Earl.


"This is the first time we've gone north for a hurricane. We've always gone south," said assistant chief Scott Goldstein.

Eighty percent of the team comes from Montgomery County, 20 percent comes from Anne Arundel County.

The estimated 100,000 dollars they cost is picked up by FEMA which reimburses the county governments.

The 16-vehicle convoy carries 80,000 lbs of search and rescue equipment. It includes team members with expertise in structural engineering, emergency physicians and specially trained dogs like 6-year-old Jesse James, who can find living persons trapped in destroyed buildings.