Gamber & Community Fire Company

Water Rescue Teams Assist Neighboring Counties


By Public Information Officer Clay Myers
May 28, 2018

Water rescue crews from Gamber & Community Fire co. were called to assist with water rescues and searches in Baltimore County and Howard County after severe flash flooding on Sunday, May 27, 2016. The first call for assistance came in at 4:29 pm Sunday afternoon requesting the dive unit and boat to transfer to Baltimore County Station 18, Randallstown. Dive Unit 13 and Boat 13-1 responded with Chief Charlie Green as officer. A call for additional Carroll County dive team members and swift water rescue technicians was made by pager just after that. As the afternoon progressed and as the flash flooding became worse, an additional water rescue team from Gamber was requested by Howard County. Gamber's Utility 13 and Duty 13 responded with additional members and proceeded to the Ellicott City area. Sykesville Freedom District Fire Department's Rescue Squad 12 and Carroll County's ATR 30 (Advanced Technical Rescue) also responded with swift water rescue technicians to support the search activities. Gamber members returned to the station around midnight Sunday and took approximately an hour to clean up and return equipment and apparatus to service. Chief Charlie Green and Assistant Chief Alan Barnes led both teams.

Units:	Dive 13, Boat 13-1, Utility 13, Duty 13

Mutual Aid:	Sykesville Rescue Squad 12, Carroll County ATR 30

Boat 13-1, on the left and smaller inflatable boats to the right returned to service and drying out in the Gamber station. Boat 13, center, was not used.

Washing off Dive 13 after the incidents.

Dive and rescue gear drying off at the station next to Utility 13.

Team members returning from searching for possible victims swept away during the flash flooding in the Avalon section of Patapsco State Park, Howard County.

Carroll County units staging in the Avalon section of Patapsco State Park, Howard County. Team members searched for possible victims swept away during the flash flooding in the Ellicott City area.