Around 20 Florida firefighters are prepared to go to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands ahead of an incoming tropical storm this week.
First responders from Miami and other fire departments around South Florida have been put on alert by FEMA as Tropical Storm Dorian approaches, WFOR-TV reports. They are part of Florida Task Force Two, which helps out in case of natural disasters, such as hurricanes and tropical storms.
"We are self-contained and we don’t have to rely on anybody but ourselves. We even bring our own medical equipment and a medical doctor with us,” Miami Assistant Fire Chief Scott Dean told the TV station.
The task force has helped with other severe weather in the past, such as Hurricane Maria in 2017. And while Dorian is expected to be as strong as Maria, Puerto Rico is still dealing with the devastation of that hurricane.
“We try not to think of the bad but there’s always a worst-case scenario but our job is to always help and that’s what we are doing,” Dean told WFOR.
