TranSource Teams Aid Critical Rescue Operations After Hurricane Helene

On Sunday, September 29, 2024, Chief Michael Simpson of the Atlantic Beach Fire Department faced a crisis. Their heavy rescue unit, a Mack Trucks Mack MRU612, was dispatched to the western part of North Carolina, towing its rescue boat and carrying its rappelling gear and first aid equipment to perform life-saving rescue and recovery operations following the devastation of Hurricane Helene. En route to the staging area, they discovered the rescue unit was on the verge of a fan belt failure, with the belt tensioner beginning to fall apart. Time was critical, and the unit needed to be fully operational by the next day to begin its vital work. TranSource, Inc.s Wilmington, the supporting branch for this unit, was contacted for help. Paul Piascik, the Service Manager, immediately reached out to Robert Johnson, the parts manager in Wilmington, and coordinated with Grayson Wiser to identify the necessary parts. They discovered that the Hickory branch, managed by Doug Jacquemin, had most of what was needed. Montana Moore and Ben Campbell in the warehouse quickly gathered all the required components. Meanwhile, Dustin Reid from the service team instructed Jimmy Lee, a TranSource technician, to support the parts team in any way he could. Doug Jacquemin, Montana Moore, and Jimmy Lee traveled to the Fire Station in Swannanoa to make the repairs. They successfully got the rescue truck up and running, but as they were preparing to leave, three senior citizens arrived at the station, having been stranded on a mountain for days. They had lost everything and were in desperate need of food and shelter. With hotels unavailable from the Tennessee border to Statesville due to the hurricane, Doug, Montana, and Jimmy stepped in to help. The three of them offered the seniors a ride back to Hickory, where they had service and could assist further. After some effort, they found the last available hotel room in Statesville and helped the seniors contact their out-of-state family to let them know they were safe. Thanks to the TranSource team’s compassion and quick thinking, these individuals were able to reunite with their loved ones and get to safety. Just over a week later, on October 9, Chief Simpson expressed his deep gratitude for the efforts of everyone involved. He detailed how the rescue unit played a pivotal role in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, including a mission to rescue an injured woman trapped on a mountaintop. The rescue team used the vehicle to reach the mid-point of the mountain until the roads were impassable, then continued on horseback, cutting through downed trees along the path to reach the stranded resident. After stabilizing the injured woman, the team used a stretcher basket to lower her down the mountain and crossed a riverbed with the equipment stored in the rescue unit. Chief Simpson emphasized that without the timely intervention and support from TranSource, this mission—and others like it—would not have been possible. This is just one of many incredible stories yet to be told from the thousands of volunteers who contributed during this crisis. While there are countless acts of heroism, we wanted to take a moment to highlight our team's efforts and express how proud we are of their hard work and dedication during this challenging time!