Reporter staff

Four members of the Valley Regional Fire Authority recently helped in the Oso landslide recovery efforts.

The VRFA crew –  Firefighter Barry Rickert, Firefighter Jason Herman, Battalion Chief Parry Boogard and Capt. Dale Laginess — completed a 12-day stint at the Snohomish County site, helping with rescue, recovery and cleanup efforts. All four are members of Washington State Task Force 1, a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team based in the Puget Sound region.

The foursome travelled to Darrington on March 25, just three days after the slide, which, to date, is known to have killed 41 people. Two people remain missing.

Team members sifted debris, combing areas identified by dog teams as a “possible rescue or recovery of victims” area. Personnel worked closely with community members, local volunteers and other emergency response personnel, who provided support for the heavy equipment operators, sawyers and loggers helping with rescue and recovery efforts.