Bullitt County firefighters dispatched to Laurel County to assist with tornado recovery
A team of Bullitt County firefighters was deployed to Laurel County on Memorial Day to help fight fires and assist with ongoing tornado recovery efforts.
A deadly EF-4 tornado tore through the area on May 16, killing 19 people along its 55-mile path from Pulaski to Laurel County.
Ten days after the destruction was left behind, first responders in Bullitt County answered the call to help. Branden Martin is one of the 13 firefighters from Shepherdsville, Zoneton and Mount Washington who were dispatched to the area on Monday.
"I can't imagine seeing your own community in your own family, friends be so affected by this," Martin said.
He said the team's primary role is to relieve firefighters who live in the disaster area.
"We need these people to get a little bit of physical and mental relief and let them decompress for just a little bit," said Zoneton fire Chief Kevin Moulton.
Like any day on the job, the team piled uniforms, equipment and various supplies into fire trucks and other vehicles in preparation for their deployment.
According to Moulton, the 13 firefighters will spend 63 hours on duty in Laurel County as a way to give back to the fire department that has worked tirelessly over the past week and a half.
"When we had the tornado in '96, we had the same thing here. We have to rely on other agencies in the state," Moulton said.
The team from Bullitt County headed out to help on Memorial Day, just as a firefighter killed by the EF-4 tornado was laid to rest in London, Kentucky.
"Hopefully, they can feel at peace that we're coming to assist them with whatever they need," Martin said.
He and the other dispatched firefighters will make the trip back to Bullitt County on Thursday.