HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLA. — A team of firefighters from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties will deploy to the Florida Panhandle today in response to Hurricane Isaias.
The Florida Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 3 (FL-TF3), made up of members from Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue and Tampa Fire Rescue, will depart at noon to support emergency response and rescue operations in communities impacted by the hurricane.
The team will leave from Hillsborough County's Public Safety Operations Complex, located at 9450 E. Columbus Drive in Tampa.
Together, the agencies provide highly trained personnel and specialized equipment to respond to large-scale emergencies and disasters throughout Florida, officials said.
Task force members are trained to conduct complex rescue operations in challenging environments, including flooded neighborhoods, waterways and areas made inaccessible by fallen trees, downed power lines and storm debris.
When disasters strike, FL-TF3 can be activated to deploy outside its local jurisdictions, providing additional resources and specialized rescue capabilities to support affected communities and local emergency responders, officials said.
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