The Arlington Fire Department and Public Works Department provided assistance and help to those in need after the second deadliest tornado outbreak in DFW history on December 26, 2015.
Following Saturday evening's tornadoes, the City of Dallas Fire Department also requested assistance from Arlington Fire to meet emergency needs and mutual aid to Garland Fire Department.
The City sent the Arlington Fire Department's Technical Rescue Team to Garland, where crews searched multiple homes to help identify the citizen's needs, shut off gas and electrical service and recorded a preliminary damage assessment.
Arlington and other areas experienced similar storms in 2012 that underscored the need for cooperation and sharing of resources between jurisdictions which do not have sufficient resources to handle recovery efforts on their own. As a result, the North Central Texas Public Works Emergency Response Team (PWERT) was created.
Arlington Public Works and Transportation sent employees and equipment as requested by the City of Rowlett to provide emergency assistance in their recovery from the December 26 tornadoes.
Employees worked 12-hour shifts between December 28-31. Crews participated in debris removal and used chainsaws to cut large trees into smaller pieces to be loaded into dump trucks. The City of Arlington also sent a Digital Message Board to convey important recovery information to people living in Rowlett.
The City commends and recognizes the Public Works and Transportation employees who assisted those in need in Rowlett: Mike Norton, Jose Rodriguez, Federico Rios, Tom Talbert, Fausto Gamez, Gabino Guerrero and Dylan Carbajal.
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