Firefighters from Southwest Florida head to Surfside to help with the rescue effort

BONITA SPRING

Firefighters from Southwest Florida are ready to serve the Surfside community on the east coast.

On Friday, they packed their bags and rushed to Surfside, north of Miami Beach, to help with the search and rescue effort from fallen rubble, hoping to find survivors.

You often train to be prepared for moments like this.

“You don’t get help and do it every day. We’ve been training for a long time and we’re pretty excited, ”said Andrew Schmidt from Task Force 6.

Schmidt is one of 35 specially trained firefighters in Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 6.

The group received the call on Friday to get dressed, pack their bags and meet at the fire station.

You’re ready to be gone for at least a week.

“It’s not like a training simulator that was about safety,” said Greg Dewitt, task force leader for Florida Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 6. “This is the reality.”

Dewitt said he expected family members of those trapped in the collapsed structure to ask questions.

“It’s just hard to see the agony on their faces,” said Dewitt. “But we know we go in there for a reason, and sometimes it’s a little daunting to come out when you haven’t accessed or saved someone.”

Task Force 6 had a meeting at the Bonita Springs Fire Station led by Dewitt before heading to Surfside.

They prayed. They spoke. And then they left.

It is likely that the team will work 12 hours a day looking for survivors.

“That’s why we’re going there,” said Dewitt. “So we’re there to make a difference and do the best we can, and we’re not going to give up.”

See similar https://www.winknews.com/2021/06/25/southwest-florida-firefighters-head-to-surfside-to-help-with-rescue-efforts/

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