SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – Responders from Illinois are ready to help the people who need it most after Hurricane Florence.
EMTs and paramedics with Medics First were busy packing supplies this week to take to North Carolina after the storm moved through and dealt damage, causing serious flooding and claiming over 40 lives. They’re bringing boxes of necessities to help those who are still struggling. Their plan is to leave Saturday morning.
For some, such as paramedic Chris Arney, the strong urge to help came from personal experience. He saw the worst of Hurricane Katrina as a teenager when it dealt heavy damage in Biloxi, Miss., back in 2005.
“We left our house via boat,” he said. “We had tornadoes touch down a few blocks away from our house. We had about five, six feet of water in our house.”
He says he remembers that experience vividly and, keeping in mind his time in a storm victim’s shoes, he feels inspired to make a difference.
“We had support from New York (and) across the country,” he added. “You name it – they were there.”
It’s the determination of Medics First and groups like it that earned it this week’s Spirit of Central Illinois award.
Anyone with an idea for someone to nominate as an award recipient is asked to send an email to deron.molen@wandtv.com or news@wandtv.com.
