Last night, 80 of Fairfax County’s finest came home.
Virginia Task Force 1, the elite urban search-and-rescue team based right here in our community, returned to their Chantilly headquarters after 10 days of around-the-clock rescue operations in earthquake-ravaged Venezuela. They left behind a trail of hope, five lives saved, and a moment that captured the world’s attention: the rescue of a mother and her 9-month-old baby from beneath a collapsed building.
When Disaster Strikes, Fairfax County Responds
On June 24, two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela just 39 seconds apart, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale. They were the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in more than a century. More than 2,200 people were killed, thousands more injured, and entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.
Within 24 hours, Virginia Task Force 1 was activated by the U.S. State Department. By June 26, the team had landed in Venezuela with 70,000 pounds of medical and rescue equipment and six specially trained search dogs.
What followed was nothing short of extraordinary.
186 Hours of Hope
Working alongside international teams from France, Venezuela, Los Angeles, and Miami, the Fairfax County crew triaged 74 sites and conducted technical rescue operations at 41 locations. They worked 186 continuous hours, often in dangerous and unstable conditions.
But the numbers only tell part of the story.
Days after the earthquakes, when hope was fading, Virginia Task Force 1 pulled a mother and her 9-month-old baby from the ruins of a collapsed building. Video of the rescue went viral, showing rescuers in their signature neon green helmets carefully lifting the crying infant from the debris while crowds of Venezuelans cheered and clapped.
The next day, the team helped free a father and son who had been trapped for four days. Another survivor was located and carefully extracted over 12 hours of painstaking work.
Why This Matters to All of Us
Virginia Task Force 1 is sponsored by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, funded in part by FEMA, and staffed by local firefighters, paramedics, and emergency responders who live and work in our community. When they deploy to disasters around the world, they represent the best of Northern Virginia.
These are the same first responders who answer our 911 calls, respond to car accidents on Route 7, and show up when our neighbors need help.
A Moment to Reflect
Justen Moreland, a member of the task force, spoke about what it meant to come home after witnessing such devastation.
“I don’t know if there are words to describe it,” he said. “Just coming home and making the connection to some of the rescues that we had, because I’ve got a young family at home. Just being able to hug them knowing what other families are going through is just a speechless moment.”
The U.S. Embassy in Caracas thanked the rescue teams for their “extraordinary work on the ground,” writing, “Their courage and professionalism in Venezuela saved lives and brought hope in an extremely critical moment. They leave behind an indelible mark of solidarity.”
Thank You, Virginia Task Force 1
At Hilton & Somer, we have deep respect for the first responders who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others. Whether they’re pulling survivors from rubble halfway around the world or responding to a car accident here in Fairfax County, these men and women represent the very best of our community.
Welcome home, Virginia Task Force 1. Fairfax County is proud of you.
If you’d like to learn more about Virginia Task Force 1 or support their mission, visit Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.
References
- WTOP – “Virginia Task Force One returns home after Venezuelan earthquake response” (July 7, 2026)
- FOX 5 DC – “Fairfax County rescue crews pull mother, infant and father, son from rubble” (June 29, 2026)
