Twenty-five Branson city employees from three different departments have traveled to Joplin to help in search, recovery and law enforcement efforts since the deadly tornado struck that city May 22.
The city employees from fire, police and engineering departments included graduates last fall of the fire department’s Citizens Emergency Response Team (CERT). And among the CERT members was Branson Alderperson Cris Bohinc.
Six CERT members accompanied four Branson firefighters on Friday, May 27 who went to Joplin to assist in searching for the deceased among the collapsed buildings. They worked with two cadaver dogs that would sniff through the rubble first and then indicate locations of bodies. However, the team did not find any bodies in the areas they searched before returning to Branson Saturday evening.
On Sunday, May 29, when President Obama flew into Joplin for the memorial service, three members of the fire department along with hazardous decontamination equipment deployed to Joplin as one of the safety measures for the President. The men and equipment were stationed about a mile away from where the President spoke
