SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Two Sheboygan firefighters recently returned from a two-week deployment to Texas as part of Wisconsin's Task Force-1, where they assisted communities devastated by deadly flooding.
Michael Demcak, one of the Sheboygan firefighters deployed, described the extensive damage along the Guadalupe River where the team conducted water search and rescue operations.
"There was a lot of devastation there from the floods, a lot more than I would've expected to see," Demcak said. "There was a very large debris pile throughout the entire stretch."
The Wisconsin emergency response team, alongside K-9 units, was tasked with recovering bodies of those missing after the floods swept through the area.
"In hopes to kind of get some closure to the families down there," Demcak said.
This deployment marked the first time Sheboygan has assisted Task Force-1 in an emergency response mission.
Watch: Sheboygan firefighters return from Texas flood recovery mission
"We were just continually surrounded by a lot of really great people, completely welcomed in by the people down there, by the locals," Demcak said.
While the devastation was difficult to witness, the team remained focused on their mission to help the affected Texas communities.
"We were just thankful to be asked to go down there in the first place," Demcak said. "It's a big commitment, but it's definitely worth it."
Now safely back home, the firefighters plan to apply what they learned to their service in the Sheboygan community.
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