TX Firefighter Shares His Harvey Experience

Matt Geller began his firefighting career like so many others who have a desire to serve their communities and help others.

It was only after going through his initial training, getting on the job and working through some early hands-on experiences that a startling realization hit home.

"I started early in my career where I got into a couple of incidents where I knew I either needed to learn more about this job or I needed to get out because I realized that firefighting was going to kill me."

That moment of clarity sparked a desire to learn as much as he could through training and classwork, and it eventually led Geller to become a special ops instructor at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth and then a member of the elite Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1), which played a vital role in search and rescue during the devastation Hurricane Harvey visited upon southeast Texas this summer.

Geller, who has risen to lieutenant over his 17-plus years with Dallas Fire-Rescue, recently took some time to speak with Firehouse.com about his experiences during one of the worst storms to ever hit the mainland U.S.

TX-TF1 is one of 28 teams operating under FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue System, and also serves under the direction of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Its highly skilled membership is culled from over 60 agencies across Texas and comprises firefighters, police, IT support staff and engineers, among others.

"It's a statewide team and it's a very prized position. I didn't think I had a chance at doing it. I was very humbled when I was accepted because Texas Task Force 1 is a very honorable team to be on."

Geller is a rescue specialist with the helicopter air group, and among the requirements are proficiency in rescue tactics such as rope, confined space, trench and swift water. Many images the public observes during disasters such as Harvey are of helicopters hovering above while people are lifted to safety by first responders harnessed in below the aircraft. Geller is one of those specialists who drop down to bring victims up and out of harm's way.

While the Texas National Guard provides air support with mainly Blackhawk and Lakota helicopters, TX-TF1 provides swimmers and rescuers who utilize gear such as the LSC quick strap, PMI hasty harness and the LSC rescue basket, depending on the situation. Crews operating after sunset were equipped with night vision goggles. 

Once Hurricane Harvey was bearing down on the Texas coast, TX-TF1 was one of the first units to deploy ahead of the storm making landfall.

"We flew basically throughout the whole duration that Harvey was in Texas," Geller said. "We started in advance of Harvey and worked all the way up the coastline as it made its way out of Louisiana, so we're talking about several days' worth. Maybe four or five days, whatever it was, until it finally pushed on out."

Geller was somewhat at a loss for words trying to explain what he observed in Houston and other communities from the bird's eye view of a chopper.

"We went from Corpus (Christi) all the way up the coast for coverage, and it was incredible. The size. Coming into Houston and seeing how much flooding was covering such a large area, and then thinking about how many people were going to need assistance. It was mind-boggling. I can't even explain how large it was."

After being hailed for his valiant acts following the storm, including during a personal encounter with Sen. Ted Cruz, Geller said he was quick to deflect credit to the military pilots whom he believes don't get the praise they deserve.

"We would be nothing if it wasn't for the ones who have a controlled hand to keep the aircraft steady. We're sitting in gusts and squalls that were enough to whip the tail rotor around, and they foresee all of that. And the rain was so hard that it was literally peeling the paint off the aircraft, believe it or not."

There were many reports of local public safety agencies warning residents who defied evacuation orders that no one would be able to come for them in an emergency, but Geller says that's untrue. Even though a local department may be incapable of deploying resources in those situations, that's when a unit like TX-TF1 will step in.

"We had around-the-clock coverage and the hours were long. I was on one of the day crews. Typically we were at the hangar at about 7 a.m. and we'd finally get everything cleaned up and done by about midnight, and then we'd start again the next day. So the first several days were real long days. Just getting our gear rehabbed and such as the night crews were coming in."

Geller says one of the hardest parts of these special operations is making choices on prioritizing victims who are in more dire need of rescue than others.

"This is not for everybody. You're going to have to make a decision and justify that decision. This hurricane, for example, we had people that are looking up at us holding their hands up and praying for us to pick them up and we have to make a judgement call.

"When you look at so many people on rooftops, you can't just save them all right from the get-go. You have to choose out the high priority ones first even though you see the others and they're literally praying to you to come get them. It's very difficult and it takes the right person."

This challenging and at times emotional element is one of the key points he tries to impart on his students at Tarrant County College.

"I'm very strong when I come into these classes. I've actually been criticized by students for being tough on them, but my job is to be tough on them so they realize how serious it is."

Several TX-TF1 members even refused to leave their posts after learning their own homes had suffered extensive damage or that loved ones might be in a trying situation.

"It actually gives me goosebumps to talk about it," Geller said. "One of the team members, his house had about seven feet of water in it, and we were trying to get him to leave as the hurricane was pushing further out, and he stayed strong and said no. He stayed throughout the whole duration."

Just like so many others who stayed, including Lt. Matt Geller.