Firefighters, EMS providers prepare for Hurricane Ian to hit Florida
USAR teams have been deployed to a staging area, and local fire departments have been issuing safety reminders to their communities
By Leila Merrill
As Hurricane Ian approaches Florida’s Gulf Coast, EMS providers, firefighters and cadets are helping their own communities and others.
Ian made landfall Tuesday morning in Cuba and is expected to hit Florida Wednesday. Officials have ordered 2.5 million people to evacuate, the Associated Press reported.
Power outages and floods are expected.
President Joe Biden declared an emergency, which authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief and provide assistance in protecting people and property.
Over the weekend, 45 members of Virginia Task Force 2 deployed. The organization told News 3 that crewmembers would join Virginia Task Force 1 and Ohio Task Force 1 at a staging area in Georgia.
On Monday, 37 ambulance strike team members headed out from Tennessee.
Pasco County Fire Rescue cadets have been helping fellow Floridians fill sandbags.
Fire departments in Florida have been posting social media messages of support and useful information such as supply kit must-haves, emergency information sources and safety reminders.
From the Associated Press
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