80 local firefighters will join search and rescue efforts in Surfside following building collapse

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Update 8:16 p.m.

In all, 80 local firefighters who are part of the Florida Task Force 5 Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) will be in Miami to help with search and rescue efforts related to the high-rise building collapse in Surfside on Thursday.

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department is the lead agency that put the task force together, but both St. Johns County Fire Rescue and Clay County Fire Rescue have provided crew members as well.

Here is a tweet from Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, which shows the team preparing for the journey to Miami:

They’ll help search the rubble at the collapsed towers in Surfside.

You can see the moment crews left in this video posted to JFRD’s Twitter page:

JFRD confirmed half of the crew is scheduled to be working on the site tonight at midnight.

The Task Force 5 USAR command team also includes 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.

Action News Jax also told you on Saturday that two JFRD members are already in Miami after driving a massive mobile command unit through the night.

It’s now parked a block or two away from the collapsed building.

“It’s basically a rolling command center. It’s where the people who are running stuff can sit in the same place, have technology to their availability and get things done without being too far from the site,” Capt. Eric Prosswimmer told Action News Jax reporter Dani Bozzini.

JFRD is now asking everyone to keep these firefighters in their thoughts on Sunday night as they prepare for what Curry referred to as “one of the most difficult assignments they will ever face.”

Updated story 1:22 p.m.:

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department headed out to Miami Sunday morning to help with the search and rescue mission in the collapsed towers in Surfside.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry tweeted Sunday morning his thoughts and prayers for JFRD and the rest of the team, “I’m grateful to our men & women from @THEJFRD Jax Fire/Rescue who volunteered for this mission.”

JFRD says around 80 firefighters are heading down south to help with the search and rescue mission.

Original story:

First responders are working around the clock searching for victims in the collapsed towers in Surfside.

Officials say the confirmed death toll has risen to five, as of Saturday evening. We’re told 156 people remain missing and 130 people have been accounted for.

Members of Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department arrived early Saturday morning to help.

Two JFRD members drove a massive mobile command unit through the night.

“They were in about a 53-foot semi-trailer and they had to find the right parking spot for it. They got it parked probably around 1:30 a.m.,” explains Capt. Eric Prosswimmer.

The trailer, which is a state-of-the-art mobile command center, is now stationed just a block or two away from the collapsed building.

“It’s basically a rolling command center it’s where the people who are running stuff can sit in the same place, have technology to their availability and get things done without being too far from the site.”

Captain Prosswimmer says it’s been non-stop since they got down there early Saturday morning.

“They had an extremely long night, they worked very hard. They are the type of guys, they aren’t going to complain at all.”

Officials say they are still calling this a search and rescue mission.

“There are so many moving parts to this rescue and we are still calling it a rescue that you couldn’t fathom everything that is going on behind the scenes and how tirelessly people are working to try and locate victims and rescue them.”

And those on Jacksonville’s Urban Search and Rescue Team, or U-SAR are standing by ready to assist.

“They’re literally chomping at the bit to get out there…and do whatever it takes to assist the crews that are down there already,” explains Prosswimmer.

He says their U-SAR team has undergone extensive training to be prepared for situations like this.

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