Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service

An Internationally Accredited Public Safety Agency

NEWS ADVISORY
Richard Bowers, Fire Chief
Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe Street, 12th Floor,
Rockville, Maryland

Assistant Chief Scott Graham, Public Information Officer

Phone: 240-876-1260 – Media line – 240.777.2442

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 16, 2011

Powerful and Deadly Storms Tear Through the South

Local Firefighters Assist in Search and Rescue Efforts in North Carolina

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) personnel were called at 5:30
p.m. to assist in the aftermath of tornado damage in the Sanford, North Carolina area. Five
MCFRS personnel and one Howard County Fire Department (HCFD) representative were
attending a scheduled training class in the North Carolina area and quickly answered the call for
assistance and mobilized, joining the Sanford Fire Department, in conducting seach and rescue
efforts in the storm-ravaged area.

Numerous homes and businesses were damaged as tornadoes touched down and the
powerful line of storms moved through North Carolina. The storm system toppled a Lowes
Home Improvement store close to the location where the training class was being conducted.
The MCFRS and HCFD crew assisted in rescuing a resident trapped under debris at the home
improvement complex, using specialized equipment retrieved from their training class, and
successfully pulling her to safety.

The team, led by MCFRS Captain Mike Green, has been demobilized at this time and
replaced by State search and rescue resources that have arrived in the area. The team is expected
to return home Sunday evening.

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