Enterprise has a new crisis response team

ENTERPRISE, Miss. (WTOK) - When the plans of installing a boat ramp in Enterprise came up, Police Chief Bradley McNeece said he knew a water rescue team would greatly benefit his town.

McNeece said the process began several months ago.

”Once we started that process, I came up with the idea of putting together a water rescue team.” said McNeece.

From this idea came the Enterprise Emergency Response Unit. This team will not only serve Clarke County and its numerous waterways, but surrounding counties as well.

News 11 asked McNeece, what is the ultimate goal of having the response team in Enterprise?

”To help cut down on some of the response time in the incident if we ever have an issue on the river or at Clarko or at Archusa or anywhere that involves water,“ McNeece said. “Depending on where we had to get the mutual aid from, it could have taken anywhere from hour to two hours. And hopefully now we can have somebody en route with our trailer within 15 to 20 minutes.”

Among the team’s ranks are Enterprise Police and firefighters and Clarke County sheriff’s deputies who all received special training in water crisis rescue.

”Rescue techniques using ropes, different techniques, using the boat in the water, different techniques of trying to rescue or recover people from land,” said McNeece.

According to the CDC, Mississippi has the 6th highest number of drowning-related deaths in the nation. So having this type of team in our area is a huge asset, one that didn’t come cheap.

McNeece told News 11 donations came from Clarke County District 3 Supervisor Joel Speed, the Enterprise Board of Aldermen, Enterprise Mayor and many local businesses to help create this team and purchase the necessary equipment.

McNeece also stated the Enterprise Fire Department and Enterprise Police Department board also donated money to put the team together.

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