Ohio Task Force 1 sends more teams south, prepares for Hurricane Ian’s aftermath

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - People from across Ohio including Ohio Task Force 1 will be heading down south to help prepare for Hurricane Ian’s aftermath.

Public Information Officer Chris O’Connor said they are preparing a 36 member team.

“They will be driving all night long tonight and heading to the impacted area in Florida they will be joining a 47 person team that has been in Florida since yesterday,” she said.

The Ohio Task Force 1 team is made up of firefighters and independent contractors, including three Columbus firefighters and a firefighter from Delaware County EMS.

O’Connor told 19 News that this is an all hazard team, so they can respond to any type of an emergency.

“To the people of Ohio we want to say thank you for letting us do what we do,” she said.

On Saturday, a 47 person team from the task force left from the agency’s headquarters near Dayton.

“The biggest need is just gonna be responding to that water impact so we’re gonna have to make sure that people are safe we’re going to get missing persons,” O’Connor said.

We asked her how the task force sees this mission.

“These guys just see this as their jobs they are excited to do it they are antsy to get into the work they know they can do,” she said.

As for O’Connor, she wants to send out good vibes to everyone that will be impacted and wants to urge them to think positively.

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