MIAMI — Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins announced on Friday that the city’s fire rescue personnel were preparing to deploy to Venezuela’s disaster zone.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava also met with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel, who were also packing for deployment.

“This is something that is important work. We have one of the most well-trained, committed teams in the United States,” Higgins said, according to a video the city released on Friday night.

The U.S. State Department activated Florida Task Force 2, or FL-TF2, an urban search-and-rescue team of about 230, including physicians, structural engineers, hazardous material technicians, and K-9 handlers.

“It’s devastating what happened in Venezuela, so we are making sure that they have the support that they need, and we are going to send a team of 80 people,” Miami Commissioner Rolando Escalona said, according to the city’s video published on X.

The State Department also activated Florida Task Force 1, MDFR Chief Raied “Ray” Jadallah’s team, which has experience working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

After the devastating 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck late Wednesday, the Trump administration first announced the deployment of search-and-rescue teams from California and Virginia.

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MIAMI — Miami-Dade Fire Rescue announced on Friday that the U.S. State Department “activated” the department’s search-and-rescue team to work in Venezuela after the two earthquakes.

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The fire rescue personnel with the Urban Search and Rescue, or USAR, and Florida Task Force 1, or FLTF1, which includes 80 specialists, will support search and rescue operations.

“We know that many people in our community have family, friends, and loved ones in Venezuela, which makes this mission especially meaningful to us,” a MDFR spokesperson wrote in a statement. “We deploy with a single purpose: to provide hope and assist those who have been affected during this difficult time.”

The FLTF1 “Type I” team also includes six canine teams and experts in 19 areas, including command and control, technical search, structural evaluation and stabilization, planning and technical information, advanced medical care, hazardous materials mitigation, tactical communications, logistics, safety, and technical rescue.

The State Department had already deployed two urban search and rescue teams from Los Angeles and Fairfax, Virginia, that had worked together in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa.

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