As coastal residents evacuate from Hurricane Dorian's path, dozens of first responders from the Triangle are heading toward the storm.
North Carolina Task Force 8, made up of about 40 first responders from fire departments in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, as well as Wake County EMS, plan to help find and rescue victims in communities heavily affected by the hurricane.
Team members plan to spend up to 10 days in the eastern part of the state, and they said such deployments after hurricanes have become common in recent years.
"We’ve been, last four years, been in different areas of the country and state," said task force member Zach Reynolds, a Raleigh firefighter.
Fifteen of the team members will use inflatable rafts and motorboats help with water rescue efforts, while the other members will help with structural collapses in the area.