Hurricane Ian hits Florida as Philadelphia sends help
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm -- the second-strongest possible category on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, according to the National Hurricane Center. This comes as dozens of first responders from the Delaware Valley are on their way to Florida to help victims of Hurricane Ian.
The storm was downgraded to a tropical storm.
Their primary mission is water rescue.
Pennsylvania Task Force One includes technical search specialists, structural engineers, doctors and experts in hazardous materials.
Forty-five Philadelphia task members packed their bags and headed out to Florida Wednesday afternoon in response to Hurricane Ian. They're all part of Pennsylvania Task Force 1, a specialized team of emergency workers that responds to natural disasters.
"It looks like it's going to be mostly water rescue," Philadelphia Fire Deputy Chief Carl Randolph said, "but we're prepared for collapses, any type of water rescue, any type of tech rescue."
CBS Philadelphia caught up with the task force as the 45 members packed their bags and left headquarters on New State Road in Philadelphia's Tacony neighborhood. They're bringing with them four boats, canines trained to help search for possible victims and tractor-trailers full of equipment.
There is also a personal sacrifice.
"Our families, especially a lot of the guys here have really young kids," firefighter Donna Garret said, "so it's a lot on their wives left at home and a lot on your spouse."
The Philadelphia Fire Department sponsors the task force, but it includes elite firefighters from all across the region who are prepared to travel across the country for natural and manmade disasters.
They're all too familiar with dealing with devastation.
"My last deployment to Surfside, we were there for 17 days," Randolph said.
The American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania is also responding to Ian.
Four volunteers traveled to Florida to help run the shelters for residents who evacuated their homes.
"Our role is to distribute all the supplies necessary for the shelters, for the kitchens, to assist folks in clean-ups, rakes, shovels, that sort of thing," said Fred Lehman, a volunteer with the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
The Red Cross volunteers and firefighters don't know how long they'll be down in Florida, but they're prepared to stay up to several weeks.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross' relief efforts, click here.
