When I was out and about covering the tornadoes I was able to witness first hand, the effort from volunteers who were backing up the first responders in Rowlett and Garland. The Community Emergency Response Team that showed up at Fire Station 1 in Rowlett were a group of people from all walks of life that were there to help with the disaster.
Countless volunteer fire men and women from surrounding cities poured into the area to help with mutual aid. There was the police officer from another town that was off duty and happened to be passing by the bridge over Lake Ray Roberts who stopped and directed traffic all night and helped keep the onlookers out of the area that would have complicated rescue efforts.
When I drove across the fly over from George Bush that connects to Westbound I-30 there was a sea of emergency lights down below in the intersection of the freeways where people lost their lives and property was destroyed.
Over at Broadway and I-30 the Garland Fire Department took over the parking lot of a shopping mall to create their staging area. There were rows of ambulances, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles cued up and leaving every few minutes to help victims as their assignments were given. It was an orchestrated effort to get help where it was needed.
Despite the bad publicity we hear about law enforcement from time to time across the country, in this case everyone came together and they should be applauded for the massive effort to help the victims of the storm we will never forget.
Mickey Briggs
