By Alex Lloyd Gross
While most of us in Pennsylvania are relaxing, enjoying the Labor Day holiday, 80 firefighters from across the state will be deployed to Florida to help rescue people from the Hurricane. PA Task Force One is comprised over over 200 specially trained firefighters. “We rostered 80 members of this team to go with us,” said Deputy Commissioner Craig Murphy of the Philadelphia Fire Department. This time 42 of he deployed responders will be from Philadelphia. The other 38 will come from across the state.
“We got our orders to deploy out and arrive by 10:00 AM tomorrow. We are loading up everything to take with us”, said Deputy Chief Carl Randolph, who heads up the Special Operations Command of the Philadelphia Fire Department. It is unknown if the crew will encounter an area that is underwater, or has suffered extreme wind damage, or both. That is why this team is loading up boats and life jackets. This task force consists of multiple trucks that drive down in a convoy across many states, often with a police escort.
“It would be great if the hurricane would make a hook shot and go back out in the Atlantic,” Randoph said. The crew hopes to not be needed and be recalled. If they are not, their job is to assist the host agency, ( locals) with whatever they may need. If they encounter humans in trouble, they will rescue them. Animals will be rescued as well if they are in peril.Otherwise, “We transmit the location to where the animal is to locals to come and get it,” he said.
This will be a 14 day deployment. It may be extended, or cut short. They may be redirected to another state, depending on what Hurricane Dorian does.