From Miami to Maui, South Florida first responders have sent a team to aid in the search for the missing in the wake of the devastating wildfires.
That;s not the only form of South Florida support. Miami Dolphins star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is helping to fundraise for the fire victims as well.
The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Urban Search and Rescue Team, known as Florida Task Force One, has lent crucial assistance after deploying a specialized K-9 search unit to aid in the recovery efforts.
Activation Orders have been issued to FL-TF1 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, highlighting the urgent need for their support.
More than 100 people have been confirmed dead in the wildfires that, officials say, swept through with little warning, consuming the length of a football field in 20 seconds, President Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to Hawaii on Monday.
The K-9 search team, comprised of a highly trained K-9 search specialist and its accompanying K-9 partner, will play a pivotal role in searching disaster-stricken areas using meticulously honed techniques and specialized equipment.
“To find and recover those that were lost during the fires,” said John Long with MDFR.
MDFR FL-TF1’s mission is to respond effectively to a number of emergencies, both natural and man-made. Their expertise covers diverse areas such as search-and-rescue operations, medical assistance, communications, damage assessment and the coordination of essential relief supplies.
“We were deployed two years ago to Surfside here in Miami and worked that scene for over a month,” said Long.
Over the years, the team has undertaken critical missions across the nation and around the world. In addition to the Surfside condo collapse, the teams also responded to the Oklahoma City bombing, the collapse of the World Trade Center and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as well as earthquake responses in Colombia, Turkey and Haiti.
For some in South Florida, the heartbreaking scenes out of Maui hit harder. Tagovailoa was born on Oahu and is raising funds to Help Heal Maui through his Tua Foundation.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families. I have a couple of friends that live on Maui, that spend a lot of time on Oahu, because they have work on Oahu, and they go back and forth their families,” said Tagovailoa, “but just a lot of prayers and thoughts going out to those families out there.”
As of Wednesday night, the Tua Foundation has raised over $79,000 for its wildfire relief campaign. The website says 100% of the donations will go directly to help those affected.
If you would like to help, click here.
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