SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — One of the three San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) crew members injured in a crash on Sunday while en route to assist with Hurricane Helene relief efforts has been released from the hospital. Capt. Greg Davies, a member of the Urban Search & Rescue California Task Force 8, was discharged from a hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he had been recovering from moderate injuries.
Capt. Davies, who has served with SDFD since 2009 and has been a member of CA-TF8 since 2017, is the task force’s planning team manager. "We are thrilled he's able to leave the hospital. We don't yet know when he will return to San Diego," SDFD said in a Facebook post.
The other two injured firefighters, Battalion Chief Aide Barbat and Capt. Jesse Shultz, remain hospitalized. "The families have requested privacy and that no medical information be shared at this time," officials said.
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All three firefighters were injured when their vehicle crashed on East Highway 20 near the Texas-Louisiana border at 2:45 a.m. Sunday. The crash occurred as the crew was traveling to North Carolina to assist with hurricane relief efforts.
“Anytime there’s an injury to our own, it’s close. It hurts, and its deep,” said Battalion Chief David Picone.
Picone has been leading the response for SDFD's Health and Safety Office.
“It’s been non-stop since 2 a.m. Sunday morning,” said Picone.
The Task Force 8 crew, which left San Diego on Friday, consists of 48 members, including 32 from SDFD and others from neighboring fire departments.
The Firefighter Aid organization has created a fundraiser to support the first responders as they recover from their injuries. The fund has already raised more than $25,000, and the proceeds will go directly to the families of the injured firefighters.
“It's still a rollercoaster at this point, and our hope is just to be there for the highs and the lows, and just to support them as they’re learning new information,” said Picone.
It’s not known when the task force will return. FEMA will handle transporting all the equipment back to San Diego.
