VANDALIA — Ohio Task Force 1 (OH-TF1) teams are on their way south ahead of Hurricane Idalia making landfall.
News Center 7′s Taylor Robertson was there Tuesday morning as team members backed up and headed to Atlanta, where they will stage for the hurricane expected to hit Florida. She spoke with Jim O’Connor, the team leader of this mission, about what they’ll be doing.
>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Ohio Task Force 1 activated in preparation for strengthening Tropical Storm Idalia
O’Connor, who has been with OH-TF1 for 19 years, said the 47-member Type III team is bringing two canines with them to help with search and rescue. They’re also bringing boats to be able to assist with flooding.
The teams will also be prepared to work in buildings that are destroyed. O’Connor explained that the challenges he expects the teams to see will likely have to do with a lack of infrastructure and road access for teams to get to locations.
Still, the teams are ready to show up and help in whatever way they can.
“It is very emotional for us and reassuring to us when we are down there. People are in a crisis, in the worst times of their lives and it is always impressive to us the gratitude that some of the Ohio people alone to come down there, give up their time with their families [to] come to assist them” O’Connor said.
>> RELATED: Ohio Task Force 1 members, K-9s return home from Maui
Idalia was upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It’s currently forecasted to make landfall on Wednesday morning.
The activation for this mission came a day after of the team’s three human remains detection dogs and their handlers returned from Hawaii. They spent 10 days searching in the wake of the deadly wildfires.
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