Bay Area Firefighters Deploy to Florida as Hurricane Milton Approaches

As Florida prepares for a Category 3 hurricane to make landfall as early as Wednesday night, Bay Area firefighters are en route to assist communities expected to be hit the hardest by the storm.

This isn’t the first time Menlo Park’s fire protection district has deployed firefighters for disaster relief beyond Northern California. Some were sent to New York after 9/11, while others helped clean up following Hurricane Katrina.

Jon Johnston, the city’s chief fire marshal, said that after Hurricane Milton hits Florida’s west and central coasts in the coming hours, the 80 or so firefighters from Menlo Park will be primarily focused on life-saving efforts and protecting property.

“People could be trapped in homes or buildings,” he told KQED. “If there is no access via roads to any of these individuals, we want to be able to get out and reach these individuals and rescue them and get them to safety.”

Menlo Park’s fire protection district is a sponsor of California’s Task Force 3 Urban Search and Rescue team, which includes members of more than 10 local fire agencies, along with civilian members.

They operate under guidelines established through a cooperative agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to their website, and are trained to respond to natural and manmade disasters and water rescues in varying weather conditions.

Johnston said many task forces are deploying to Florida in preparation for Hurricane Milton. Menlo Park’s rescue tools and boats began their journey there on Sunday.

The team flew out Tuesday and Wednesday with their own food, water and shelter to be self-sufficient while there.

“Once we land in the area, we’re on,” Johnston said. “So it’s a matter of training and making sure that all the equipment is ready and functional so that we can do the best job possible.”

He said that while the current crisis is in Florida, it can be a reminder to Californians to prepare for a disaster here.

“You always need to be prepared, especially here in California. We are always anticipating an earthquake,” Johnston said. “Be prepared and be able to check in on your neighbors and be able to mitigate any small emergency that may be there because the fire department and others may not be able to get there as quickly. [That] allows us to do the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people and give it to those that need it.”

KQED’s Lesley McClurg contributed to this report.