TOLEDO, Ohio — Ohio Task Force One was expanded to type 1, meaning there are now more than 80 members deployed. Originally, only 47 people were sent to Florida.
The leader, Jack Reall, said they're in between Sarasota and Fort Myers doing targeted searches where people have been reported missing. Then in the next few days, he's expecting to transition to door to door verification making sure no one needs to be evacuated from their home.
He explained they're all skilled in various aspects of search and rescue operations. Reall said they were able to take with them about 50 tons of specialized emergency gear and canines, as the people impacted need all the help they can get.
"They're in a different situation than we are," Reall said. "A lot of them are scared, frustrated, all that kind of stuff. So, sometimes it projects a little bit, but you just gotta take that with a grain of salt and understand that we're in better shape than they are and we're trying to make their day better."
Reall said after 20 years of doing this work, he's never been so confident in the work of his members.
"I think Ohio should be proud of what they have in this team," Reall continued. "It's a very experienced team in terms of hurricane response and I'm proud of them. So, I think that the state should be pretty proud of what they have and what they're doing down here."
Reall said a typical deployment is 14 days, but they're expected to be there longer since they arrived in Florida before landfall.
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