Princeton resident Allen Barnfield has been using his knowledge of the American Sign Language to aid in shelters located in San Antonio as a member of the Texas State Guard. (Courtesy photo.)

Imagine as a first responder dealing with emergency, after emergency without knowing if your own home is damaged from a hurricane. Yet you keep responding, aiding the citizens of your town, providing the support they require, setting aside the urgency to attend to your own needs.

For the first responders of Tivoli in south Texas this was exactly the situation they were faced with and members from the Princeton Fire Department headed south to help in any way they could.

Lt. Catherine Akkerman, Captain Ben Harp, Captain Steve Gammons and Driver/Engineer Dustin Lankford with Princeton FD aided several south Texas communities last week including Rockport, Fulton and Tivoli.

Starting the week in Rockport, the firefighters joined a strike team that was searching homes and businesses. In this area, which was hardest hit by Hurricane Harvey, 80 to 90 percent of the town was damaged with 40 to 50 percent totally destroyed.

On the second and third days, PFD members assisted citizens with clean up and then helped tarp roofs.

Then PFD headed to Tivoli, a little community of 400 people that has seen little help from the outside. 80 percent of the city had damage including a total loss of their fire station.

By Wyndi Veigel • News Editor • [email protected]

For the full story see the Sept. 7 issue or subscribe online.