GREENSBORO, N.C. — Seventeen Greensboro Fire Department personnel are deploying to western North Carolina as part of a specialized Type I swiftwater rescue team activated ahead of Hurricane Isaias flooding risks.
North Carolina Emergency Management activated North Carolina Task Force 6 to deploy the swift water rescue team to western North Carolina in preparation for potential flooding associated with Isaias. As part of that activation, 17 members of the Greensboro Fire Department and NC Task Force 6 are deploying to support statewide emergency preparedness and potential life safety operations.
The 17-person team will report to an initial staging area in the region so rescue personnel and equipment are ready if flooding or other life-threatening conditions develop. Team members are specially trained in swift water rescue, flood response and search-and-rescue operations in hazardous environments involving rapidly moving water, flooded roadways and people trapped by rising water.
The team is expected to remain activated through Oct. 13, 2026, although the deployment may be extended depending on weather conditions and operational needs. Fire officials said Greensboro will continue to have full emergency services coverage while the personnel are deployed.
The department said it remains committed to supporting statewide emergency response efforts and helping protect communities threatened by severe weather as Isaias remnants move through the mountains.
Greensboro Fire Department under Chief Jim Robinson operates as an ISO Class 1 career department with headquarters on North Church Street. Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter city emergency posture relies on that local capacity while mutual-aid crews stage farther west across Guilford County mutual-aid partners.
