JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Seven Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department personnel who went to South Florida to assist with search and rescue efforts at the site of the collapsed condo building in Surfside have contracted COVID-19.
JFRD Capt. Eric Prosswimmer said those infected with the virus came back earlier than the rest of the team, who arrived Friday night to people standing along Alden Road waiting to welcome them home.
Action News Jax first told you in December when JFRD began vaccinating firefighters. The department said at that time, the goal was to get all 1,600 of their uniformed staff members vaccinated, as well as their support staff, although the vaccine is not mandatory. It is not known if the firefighters who got sick were vaccinated.
Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said Friday that at least 6 firefighters from Florida, outside of Miami-Dade, tested positive for COVID-19, CBS Miami reported.
The task force with the cases was demobilized, and firefighters have been isolated, the chief said, according to the Miami Herald.
Members of the JFRD first arrived early in the morning on Saturday, June 26 to help with the massive search efforts at the site of Champlain Towers South, which partially collapsed on Thursday, June 24.
In all, 80 local firefighters who are part of the Florida Task Force 5 Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) went to the Miami area to help with search and rescue efforts related to the high-rise building collapse.
JFRD is the lead agency that put the task force together, but both St. Johns County Fire Rescue and Clay County Fire Rescue provided crew members as well.
The Task Force 5 USAR command team also included two members of St. Johns County Fire Rescue’s special operations team and three team members with Clay County Fire Rescue, which includes one K-9 handler and two technical rescue specialists.