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HFD firefighters return after helping El Paso manage COVID-19 crisis

A group of Houston firefighters spent more than a month helping with the COVID-19 crisis in El Paso. They were treating patients at a makeshift hospital.

HOUSTON — A group of Houston Fire Department firefighters was sent to El Paso to help with the COVID-19 crisis. After spending more than a month helping our fellow Texans, some of the firefighters are finally back home.

RELATED: HFD firefighters sent to help as coronavirus cases surge in West Texas

"Everyone that went had a certain role that we are capable of doing. And in addition to that role, we were also all paramedics," Beau Moreno said.

Moreno is a captain with HFD. Originally, seven Houston firefighters were sent to help transport patients to other cities. But their role changed once they arrived.

"We actually started receiving patients. We acted as a second wing to the hospital system. We were able to treat patients," Moreno said.

They set up a tent outside the hospital and they would gear up with full PPE.

For 36 days, they helped treat all kinds of patients.

"One girl ... off the top of my head, she was 23-years-old. Then we had all the way up to 90-years-old. It wasn’t one certain age group. It was everyone." Moreno said.

Now that things are a little more manageable, five of the seven firefighters are back home, including Moreno.

Even though being in El Paso was a lot of work every day, Moreno says he’s grateful he was able to be a part of the team that was helping out our fellow Texans in a time where they needed us the most.

"It was a great experience to know that firefighters were able to go throughout the state help other people neighboring people," Moreno said.

Two firefighters are still in El Paso continuing to helping the Emergency Operations Center.

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