TYLER, Texas — A group of veteran volunteers are coming to Smith County this weekend to help residents with storm cleanup efforts.
Team Rubicon, a nonprofit, veteran-centric disaster response organization, will start helping people who have reported damage starting on Saturday. The volunteers will only be going to properties that have reported damage to the Texas Division of Emergency Management via https://damage.tdem.texas.gov/,
“Our core capabilities are chain saw teams, roof tarping, cleaning up flooded homes and managing volunteers who want to help,” veteran and Team Rubicon member Jeff Marshburn said.
Marshburn will be serving Smith County residents with about 15 to 20 other volunteers. Marshburn was in the Army for 30 years before retiring, and he's also a retired Longview police officer and Smith County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
Smith County Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore said Team Rubicon has given a list of 200 residents in need of assistance, and they will prioritize who they help by the level of need, according to a news release from Smith County.
“We will help anybody, but we do prioritize helping those who can’t help themselves,” like people without insurance who can’t afford to hire someone to clear trees from their property, Marshburn said.
Team Rubicon’s services, which are funded by donations, FEMA and grant funding, are free to homeowners.
Residents can spot the Team Rubicon members in gray shirts with the team's name on them. The teams will also have business cards and come in groups of four. If they have the resident's number, Team Rubicon may call them first.
The team plans to be in Smith County for about a week.