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Despite Loss of Gear in Flood, Bat Cave, NC, Firefighters Still Responding

Oct. 17, 2024

Extrication tools, air packs, EMS supplies and turnout gear were among items destroyed last month by flooding from Hurricane Helene.

Susan Nicol

Crews at Bat Cave Volunteer Fire and Rescue continue to respond as they clean up damage from flooding after Hurricane Helene.

The department sustained hundreds of thousamds of dollars in damages, according to CBS 17.

Assistant Fire Chief Ronald Sobin said among the equipment destroyed included extrication tools, turnout gear, EMS supplies and air packs. The piles of wet debris outside the station are growing daily.

Sobin said despite the loss, the volunteers are still responding to incidents with the help of neighboring departments.

Electricity was restored at the station on Wednesday. However, a truck driven by a person bringing donations to the area ripped the low hanging power line off the building.

A utility crew in the area returned and restore the power again.

Sobin said the department has insurance.

About the Author

Susan Nicol | News Editor

Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues.