Southern Oregon firefighters return after helping Hurricane Ian victims

SOUTHERN OREGON — Three first responders from southern Oregon returned home a few weeks ago, following their deployment in southwest Florida late last month.

Hurricane Ian first struck the Fort Meyers area as a devastating category four, on September 28th. The emergency prompted volunteer organizations from across the nation to assist with recovery efforts.

One of the organizations, Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW), helped out in the hard-hit area. The non-profit, started by late actor Paul Walker, responds to natural disasters since the earthquake in Haiti in 2010.

Luke Rector of North Bend Fire Department, Anthony Saccente with Coos Bay Fire Department, and Cole Hornbrook with Jackson County Fire District Three – are part of the group and assisted.

Pictured left to right (Luke Rector, Florida resident, Anthony Saccente, Cole Hornbrook)

Rector, who has been part of ROWW since 2015, told NBC5 that their specific mission was protecting content in homes, and preventing extensive flood damage.

“It truly is one of the best feelings in the world to be able to go down there and help these people who have quite literally lost everything,” Rector said. “We were primarily trying to help people that were either low income, elderly or non insured.”