DORAL, Fla. – A total of 25 new officers from Miami-Dade County are driving across the state Wednesday to continue assisting with the recovery on the west coast of the state following Hurricane Ian.
Many of the affected communities have lost everything and they need all the help they can get.
One team of Miami-Dade police officers returned from southwest Florida Wednesday morning as another team headed out.
“Our department has prepared us mentally and physically for these types of missions,” one officer said.
The Rapid Deployment Force Team with the Miami-Dade Police Department sent one group of 25 officers a week ago to assist in recovery efforts on the west coast of Florida.
“We spent a week up there on a humanitarian mission, repairing roofs, putting tarps on roofs, removing debris, passing out food and water to those in need, helping the elderly -- little things like (giving) candy to the kids,” one officer said.
Communities are destroyed after Hurricane Ian’s powerful winds and devastating storm surge.
Local 10′s cameras captured the moments the next group of 25 officers headed out to continue assisting.
Law enforcement agencies in the heavily affected areas on the west coast tell Local 10 they are grateful for the help and accept it with open arms.
“Seeing people come from all over the state -- Miami and all over -- to help us -- southwest Florida -- when in need, it’s an amazing feeling,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said.
Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez says they don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
“We’ll continue to do so as long as they need us,” he said.
The latest group to deploy will be there for one week, and when they return another will likely head out.