Ten Fairfax County firefighters from Virginia Task Force 1, a unit based in the Dranesville District that serves McLean and Great Falls, returned home Thursday, Aug. 20, after 10 days assessing earthquake-damaged buildings in Colombia.

Family members greeted the crew as they arrived in Chantilly that night. A young girl held a sign that read "Welcome Home Daddy."

The team deployed to support the U.S. State Department's response to the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday, Aug. 10. The quake killed more than 300 people and injured thousands, according to WTOP.

Captain Michael Eddy led the 10-person team into some of the hardest-hit areas, where they evaluated buildings, fire stations and personal homes to determine whether structures were safe for occupants to return to.

"Our small team did an astronomical amount of work down there," Eddy said.

The Colombia trip was Eddy's second international deployment in less than two months. He returned from leading a VA-TF1 mission in Venezuela on July 6, following twin earthquakes there on June 24.

For firefighter Andy Kassavetis, the Colombia trip marked his first Task Force 1 deployment. He said the experience showed him how quickly a disaster can upend a community and made him appreciate the people waiting at home.

Battalion Chief Robert Schoenberger commended the team at their return, telling them their day-to-day dedication often goes unseen even as their high-profile deployments make the news.

The earthquake's epicenter was near San José del Palmar in Colombia's Chocó department. It damaged more than 8,300 homes, destroyed over 1,100 others and affected 796 schools and 84 health facilities across 357 municipalities, according to World Vision.

Virginia Task Force 1 operates under the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and partners with the State Department for international missions. Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, whose district includes McLean and Great Falls, praised the team in May after a full-scale training exercise, describing VA-TF1 as a globally deployable capability based in Fairfax County with no local tax impact.

Residents who want to learn more about Fairfax County Fire and Rescue's emergency programs can visit the department's website or call the non-emergency line at 703-691-2131.