Hurricane Ian help: Williamson County EMS, other Middle TN counties deploy ‘Strike Team’
Williamson County emergency medical staff are deployed in Florida for two weeks as Hurricane Ian continues to batter the state.
On Monday, Clyde Prater, Debi Kolak and John Mason joined three ambulance strike teams, which includes ambulances and 37 EMS professionals from across Tennessee. They spent the first night in Pensacola awaiting their next deployment area directive.
Hurricane Ian on Wednesday afternoon made landfall on the state’s west coast as a Category 4. More than 2.5 million homes and businesses in Florida were without power early Thursday. Ian has weakened to a tropical storm, but was forecast to continue moving across the state before heading out into the Atlantic.
“We are proud to have members from the WMC EMS team among the elite professionals assisting the communities in Florida impacted by Hurricane Ian,” said Phil Mazzuca, Williamson Medical Center CEO.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our Florida neighbors as they brace for the incoming storm.”
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In addition to Williamson, ambulances from Maury Rutherford, Sumner, Stewart, and Davidson counties were deployed to Florida. Prater is the regional team leader.
The Williamson County Emergency Management Agency worked with the medical center prep for deployment, gathering non-medical supplies.
The state of Tennessee is also sending more than 1,200 National Guard troops. Other medical departments statewide involved in the deployment include:
American Medical Response Blount County
TN Department of Health – Office of EMS
Anderson County EMS
Madison County Fire Department
Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department
Metro Moore County EMS
Metro Moore County EMA
Giles County EMS
Stewart County EMS
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Hurricane Ian help: Williamson County EMS deploy to Florida
