RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina National Guard Soldiers participated in an emergency management showcase last week to show the resources the state can use during natural disasters and emergency responses.
The Guard’s 449th Combat Aviation Brigade Soldiers participated in the North Carolina Emergency Management showcase at the Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters on April 17.
The showcase included demonstrations from first responders and specialized state assets such as the North Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team (NCHART), which integrates the North Carolina National Guard, State Highway Patrol and local fire departments.
The NCNG provides air assets, including Black Hawk and Lakota helicopters equipped for hoist rescues, with the Lakota able to land in confined spaces. During Hurricane Helene, the NCNG executed more than 500 rescue missions, including 165 complex hoist rescues with these assets.
“As a member of NCHART, we respond to events such as Hurricane Helene. There were a lot of different complex missions that we accomplished out there,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kevin Jaminez, a NCNG UH-72 pilot. “Some require the rescue hoist to get people out of their collapsing homes. Some just required us to land in tight spaces to get people out of immediate danger.”
Last month, the NCHART team rescued and extracted an injured firefighter in Asheville, N.C. The team for that March 25 rescue consisted of two NCNG pilots, one NCNG crew member and one NCNG medic.
“It wasn’t easy, but it was satisfying knowing that we could contribute to helping out the citizens of North Carolina,” Jaminez said.