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Arlington Officer Reflects on His Experiences Helping Harvey Victims

Many North Texas first responders went to the Texas Gulf Coast to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. As they return home they're sharing their experiences, including Lt. Kyle Dishko with the Arlington Police Department.

After spending two weeks in Houston, Dishko returned home Saturday.

"It was still raining when we got there and a lot of roads were closed," Dishko said. "There were trucks sitting on bridges with the water completely over them."

Dishko led a team of officers from the Arlington Police Department. Though each officer volunteered to be there, for Dishko it was personal.

"My brother had water in his house," he said.

Dishko grew up in Katy, just west of Houston, and he couldn't help but think, "What if?"

"That could have happened during my childhood and we could have lost everything," he said. "It really puts in perspective of how grateful you are to have the things you have."

The officers slept on the racquetball ball courts at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.

They delivered water, cooked warm meals and they even helped with high-water rescues. They did everything they could to help their Houston counterparts.

"Those Houston officers hadn't had a day off since the storm had started," Dishko said. "For them to thank us for being there, to help them so they could go home and access their own damage at their own houses, and go buy groceries, and go see their kids for a day, and just have one day off because there was other police officers to help them, that was a great benefit to us, too," Dishko said.

And while he hopes he never has to, Dishko and the other officers would do it all again.

"It's one of the best things I've ever done in my law enforcement career, because it's what we all get into this line of work to do — truly help people," he said. "We got to help an amazing amount of people."

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