A small task force of Utah firefighters arrived in Virginia on Wednesday evening, where they are waiting until Hurricane Florence strikes before they’ll deploy to save people from flooded homes.
The group is known as a “mission ready package," or MRP, and specializes in water rescues, Unified Fire Authority spokesman Ryan Love said. Whereas a normal Federal Emergency Management Agency task force is comprised of 40 to 60 people, the MRP is purposely kept small so they can move quickly to the hardest hit areas.
The self-sufficient 16-person group includes 11 firefighters from UFA, three from Salt Lake City fire and one from Park City.