NYPD, FDNY save motorists from Hurricane Matthew flooding in NC

(FOX 5 NEWS) - New York's Finest and Bravest do themselves proud all over the country -- not just in New York. When Hurricane Matthew caused dangerous flooding in parts of the south in recent days, the New York Task Force Team 1 responded. The task force is made up of New York City firefighters, police officers, and Office of Emergency Management workers.

Members of the task force jumped into action when three people whose SUV was stranded in rising floodwaters in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Saturday. The occupants of the SUV managed to get out and climb on the vehicle's roof. The task force unloaded a Zodiac-style boat from a truck, launched it into the fast-moving water, and motored out to the SUV. (Story continues below video)

The first responders loaded the stranded motorists onto the boat and got them to safety.

"Kudos to New York Task Force Team 1 for their assistance in rescuing local residents," the City of Fayetteville said in a post on Facebook that includes video of the rescue.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency created the National Urban Search and Rescue System in 1989. The urban search and rescue teams are trained to respond to natural disasters as well as terrorist attacks and major accidents.

"The Task Force carries hard-bottom boats, inflatable boats and members are all swift water trained," according to the NYPD. "The team is fully self-sufficient, and is comprised of firefighters, EMS members and NYPD Emergency Service Unit, Communications and K-9 officers."

Nearly 800 inmates in a North Carolina prison have been evacuated due to rising floodwaters, the AP reported.