Flotilla 4 Deployed Auxilarists Report Progress

After another long day of operation our deployed team has reported back as bad weather is expected over the next 24 hours.

Trevor Henderson spent today working alongside the Coast Guard in the North Dakota State EOC. It was another busy day full of operations and coordination. He has been excited to be able to work with the ground assets and air assets of the Coast Guard. He is very impressed by the helicopters and their crews as well as the air boats.

Jeff Towle served at the Minnesota State EOC in St. Paul, MN. He indicated that it was a busy day at his location. He said that concerns centered around ice jams on the river and the incoming winter weather.

Nick Critelli was as the EOC in Moorehead, MN and Fargo, ND and was able to be close to the activity. He said it was a busy day there as well. He met up with Robert Smekta who is the 8th Western Rivers District Chief of Staff. Robert is an Auxilarist who has been stationed at the Fargo EOC. Nick said that the air and surface operations have been very impressive.

All three Flotilla 4 Auxilarists will report back for duty at their respective EOC's Monday morning.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Wheeler, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer, radios to a Coast Guard HH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter during a search and rescue case in Oxbow N.D., March 26, 2009. A Coast Guard air boat passes behind him.

(U.S. Coast Guard photo / Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Blackwell )

A U.S. Coast Guard HH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter hoists a stranded local man to safety during a search and rescue mission in Oxbow N.D., March 26, 2009. The man had been stranded near his home due to the Red River flood waters.
(U.S. Coast Guard photo / Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Blackwell )