Hurricane Idalia: Round Rock, Travis County fire crews help in relief efforts

ROUND ROCK, Texas - Fire departments across Central Texas are sending crews to help with recovery efforts from natural disasters, including Hurricane Idalia.

While the Category 3 storm moved into Florida's Gulf Coast early Wednesday morning, first responders from Central Texas were also on the move.

"They tell us to go, that's where we go," said Wylie Brownell, assistant chief with the Round Rock Fire Department.

The Round Rock Fire Department sent two members of its team with Texas Task Force 1.

"They are now currently doing searches in areas that the hurricane hit," said Brownell.

They got there on Monday, along with 35 other task force members, 11 support specialists, and four canines waiting for the storm to make landfall.

"It's important for us to back other states in times of need just so that we don't use all the resources in one area," said Brownell. "If something else happens, they still have resources available to handle that."

A little closer to Texas, Louisiana also asked for help as it deals with wildfires.

"The last I heard, they had about approximately 30,000 acres that have burned so far," said Tim Robeson, division chief of the Travis County Emergency Services District 1. "Multiple fires working across the state."

Both Round Rock and the Travis County Emergency Services District 1 department lent crews to the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System.

"A lot of the crews are out doing fire suppressions, evacuations, anything that has to do with a wildfire," said Robeson. That's what these crews are out here doing."

Travis County ESD 1 also has ambulance services in Louisiana to back the fire crews and provide as much help as needed.

"We all share resources," said Robeson. "One incident can overwhelm a small organization that's five or six stations.

Right now, Travis County ESD 1 also has a team helping departments in West Texas.

The team from Round Rock in Florida could be there for two weeks.