First responders and fatigue

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – It has been about 96 hours since a tornado hit Columbus and law enforcement have been on the job around the clock since it struck.

It’s all hands on deck, and then some.

Even with extra manpower in town, the shifts are still long and constant.

For many, fatigue is beginning to set in.

Officers have been working every hour since the tornado struck Saturday night.

The storm may be gone but the danger is still out there.

“There’s still power lines down. There’s gas that’s still leaking and of course, there’s all kind of rubbish and debris that’s still hanging. We’re concerned about their safety. First thing, is that if they’re out there and what will happen is, they get hurt, then we got to take our efforts and try to rescue them when we could try to be getting someone’s lights on,” said Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton.

You can see the blue lights and familiar faces of local law enforcement on almost every corner, but they’ve also got some help from around the state.

“Special Operations Group. It’s a group of guys that kind of have to drop things at a moment to come to render aid to those who have been hit, you know, by severe weather and things of that nature,” said MHP Troop G Public Affairs Officer Sgt. Derrick Beckom.

Since mother nature is unpredictable, so is the team’s schedules.

“Some guys had to, I think had just gotten home. I was talking to some from another detail and got called to come here, you know, right after they got home, so I know a lot of those guys are fatigue from one detail and having to come to another.”

Chief Shelton said his officers have worked five days straight and will continue working every day this week.

“I ask the public to be patient with our officers because we’re not trying to be rude. We’re not trying to be ugly. We’re just concerned about your safety and we’re just saying understand that if I tell you, you can’t go down that street, or that you can’t go that way, it’s for your a purpose.”

That purpose is safety.

“A lot of them have lost their homes, everything they owned and the last thing they need is people coming through sightseeing and being a tourist when they are at their worst moment and we’re all tired. Everybody needs to have patience and understand we’re redirecting you for a reason,” said CPD Officer Roger Tate.

Shelton wants to remind everyone to not move move barricades.

He said if you do you can be cited because disregarding a barricade is against the law.

Beckom said the S.O.G. team will be in Columbus, until city leaders say otherwise.