MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A task force team with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived at Miami International Airport on Tuesday morning for a trip to Puerto Rico where they will assist in any way possible after Tropical Storm Dorian hits.
The group trains for situations like this all year long.
The team members are no strangers to the lay of the land, as they've been to Puerto Rico before, helping with the devastation that followed Hurricane Maria.
The task force consists of 45 highly skilled men and women who are trained to rescue and help save lives.
They do everything from water rescues to search-and-rescues, not to mention checking out hospitals and bringing necessary supplies to those who need them the most.
The team was in Puerto Rico for more than a month after Hurricane Maria hit the island. Team members said they have made all the necessary contacts should they need to use them again.
"It's very different in Puerto Rico," Andy Alvarez, of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, said. "There's people who have the fuel, so we have the people who have the fuel. We know the people who have the water. So we kind of made those connections when we were there, and I think that having Florida Task Force 1 and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue there -- I think that will be beneficial."
The team is expected to head to Puerto Rico Tuesday afternoon. They are expected to be on the island for about two weeks.