Help Is On The Way: Tampa Bay First-Responders Head To Panhandle

TAMPA BAY, FL -- Just over a year ago after Hurricane Irma plowed through Tampa Bay, rescue agencies from the Panhandle deployed an army of first-responders to help Tampa Bay communities recover.

"Now it's our turn," said Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco."We're going there to help them clean up debris, whatever they need, and do whatever we can from a law enforcement perspective."

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office is among a half dozen Tampa Bay agencies to travel to the Panhandle in the wake of Hurricane Michael to aid those communities in whatever capacity they're needed.

If nothing else, said Nocco, Pasco County sheriff's deputies can relieve law enforcement personnel in the Panhandle who have been on duty since Sunday when Michael first formed as a tropical storm near Mexico.

Before dawn on Thursday, Oct. 11, Nocco and other sheriff's personnel met at the sheriff's aviation unit hangar on Central Boulevard in Land O' Lakes to load up a truck with food, water and medical supplies. A relief team of 14 Pasco Sheriff's deputies then took off for the Panhandle at 5 a.m.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri didn't miss a beat. As soon as the hurricane passed through the Panhandle, he sent a cadre of 20 deputies and support personnel along with a tactical vehicle used for high-water rescue, a refrigeration trailer, Humvees, ATVs and a portable communication tower Wednesday night.

Like Nocco, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister was up before to send off "manpower and hope" to the Panhandle. Chronister deployed 12 members of his Special Incident Response Team along with supplies, chainsaws, shallow-draft boats and four-wheel drive vehicles designed to plow through wet and flooded areas.

"We may work for Hillsborough County but we are one state and are happy to answer the call," said Chronister.

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn joined Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan and Chief Charlie Vazquez of the Tampa International Airport Police in sending off a multi-police contingent to the Panhandle Wednesday night. Police Capt. Carlos Rodriguez is leading the "TampaStrong Platoon" of 20 officers from the Tampa Police, Tampa International Airport Police, Plant City Police and University of South Florida Police to assist in recovery efforts.

Meanwhile, the Clearwater Police sent 12 people with supplies to Gadsden County in north Florida to help out there and, Thursday afternoon, the Largo Police sent six members of the department to a staging area in Tallahassee at the request of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Largo Police Chief Stephen Slaughter said the Largo contingent will help out for five days and then will be relieved by another team from Largo.

This team will receive their operational assignment upon arrival. The team will be equipped to perform all essential duties for 5 days.At that time, a new 6 member team will arrive to relieve and re-equip these team members. Members of the Largo Police Department are currently scheduled to provide assistance in the above prescribed manner until no longer needed.The initial deployment will include the agency's mobile command vehicle and the team is expected to depart at approximately 3 p.m. today from the Largo Police Department.

Chiefs from Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue and Tampa Fire Rescue joined forces to send a task force of rescue specialists to the Panhandle. Watch the video below to hear what the chiefs told the team before it departed Thursday morning.

In all, more than 70 Tampa Bay first-responders and K9 search dogs expect to be in the Panhandle for the next week, helping the areas recover from the destruction Hurricane Michael left in its path.

Additionally, Tampa Electric Co. sent nearly 300 crew members at 7 a.m. Thursday to the Panhandle to help the power companies get the lights back on.

Videos courtesy Pinellas Sheriff's Office, Hillsborough Fire Rescue, Clearwater Police

Photos courtesy Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

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