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Phoenix Firefighters Sent to Florida to Help

With Hurricane Irma looming over the Florida Peninsula, firefighters from Phoenix have been dispatched to aid in the impending recovery efforts that will occur after the storm.

The team had been sent to Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in the Houston Area a week ago. Among their feats in providing aid to the area, the team rescued at least 17 people from the flooded neighborhoods in Houston.

Earlier this week, the team was asked if it would like to continue its efforts in Florida once Irma hits the state. All 80 members of the task force chose to do so.


On Wednesday, the team, named Task Force 1, was sent to Shreveport, Louisiana en route to Florida. They should be in Alabama on Thursday. There is no word on where the team will be deployed once the storm does hit.

According to Captain Larry Subveri, “The team is in great spirits and ready to answer the call of those in need.”

Hurricane Irma is one of the most powerful Atlantic storms ever recorded and is expected to make its way to Florida early Sunday morning. As of Friday, Irma was making its way across the series of islands just south of Florida including the Dominican Republic, Cuba, the Lower Antilles, and Puerto Rico.

Florida’s governor warned Florida’s residents that they should not ignore evacuation orders, noting that “You can rebuild your home. You cannot rebuild your life.”

President Donald Trump did his part in the recovery efforts that are sure to come on American soil in declaring states of emergencies in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Bahamian authorities also evacuated residents in the most southern six islands in the chain of islands.

By the end of this hurricane season, there will be plenty of rebuilding to do and Arizona is proud to have a hand in these efforts.