Bluffton firefighters are ready to go as Hurricane Irma approaches

As Hurricane Irma approaches Beaufort County, Bluffton Township Fire District firefighters are monitoring the storm and are prepared to respond to emergency calls throughout the expected severe weather.

All three shifts are stationed at the fire station located on Fording Island Road near St. Gregory Catholic Church. Firefighters are prepared to respond to calls during the storm because Bluffton was not placed under a mandatory evacuation.

Firefighters are monitoring a few locations in the town for flooding and storm surge effects, including the Alljoy Boat Landing and the Oyster Factory Park in Old Town.

During a Sunday evening meeting at the fire station, personnel discussed the possibility of wind speeds being similar to those of Hurricane Matthew last year. The storm downed several trees and power lines. Flooding was also prevalent throughout Bluffton as were power outages.

“We learned from Matthew that a lot of stuff that we are doing is right on track with what we need to be,” Capt. Randy Hunter said.

Firefighters have prepared all the equipment necessary to cut through downed trees and reach emergencies.

“We have some extra chainsaws, extra personnel, extra medical equipment and crews who are going to assigned to smaller vehicles so they can get around as saw teams for trees,” Hunter said.

This story was originally published September 10, 2017 at 7:42 PM with the headline "Bluffton firefighters are ready to go as Hurricane Irma approaches."