‘We are answering the call.’ South Florida rescue teams deploy to aid Venezuela
When Capt. German Leal saw images of Caraballeda, Venezuela, after two catastrophic earthquakes earlier this week devastated streets he used to roam 15 years ago before moving to Florida, he was stunned.
“I know those buildings, I know the stores, so it was pretty shocking,” said Leal, a member of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Urban Search and Rescue Florida team.
He and over 80 South Florida firefighters, many of whom worked tirelessly during the Champlain Towers South collapse in June 2021, began deploying to Caracas on Friday night to assist in search and rescue operations.
“Now that I’m going back in a situation like this, it’s going to be very eye-opening and shocking,” he said. “We will do what we do: Go out there and save people.”
Two earthquakes — magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, just 39 seconds apart — struck Venezuela’s Caribbean coast around 6 p.m. Wednesday, causing catastrophic damage.
The death toll has been growing. As of midday Friday, it stood at over 900 with more than 3,000 injured, according to the Venezuelan government. At least 383 buildings and over 1,000 other structures had collapsed or were heavily affected, and officials were still assessing the damage.
The U.S. Department of State activated Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Urban Search and Rescue Florida Task Force 1 and Miami Fire Rescue’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 2. Combined, they total over 80 seasoned rescue members from agencies across Miami-Dade and Broward.
On Friday evening, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s task force gathered at a facility just outside Homestead Air Reserve Base with equipment, beginning preparations for deployment.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Raied “Ray” Jadallah greeted nearly two dozen members of the group as they waited to check in. Shaking every hand and wishing each member safety and luck, the pair gave a rousing pep talk.
Among the group were Pete Marrero and his rescue K-9, 3-year-old Whelan. Levine Cava gave the golden-colored dog a vigorous pat on the head. The Venezuela deployment will be Whelan’s first search and rescue mission since Marrero picked and trained with her at the University of Pennsylvania.
During a news conference, Levine Cava emphasized how important it was to show support for Venezuelan-Americans in Miami-Dade and their families abroad.
“We are answering the call from our neighbors in Venezuela,” she said. “There's still many of them waiting for word from people who are in the areas of the greatest danger, and these men and women are going in to really bring comfort and rescue.”
Jadallah said that while the task force’s assignments are not yet set, it is highly likely firefighters will aid in operations in coastal communities.
“You may have seen some of the videos with the buildings that have collapsed along the [coast],” he said. “ It’s extremely important for us to show that we are helping not just here, but we could extend that help to our brothers and sisters and families over in Venezuela.”
La Guaira, a coastal state neighboring Caracas, has been the most affected. It was declared a disaster zone and militarized on Thursday.
Rescue teams, doctors, and humanitarian aid started arriving Thursday night and Friday.
Countries from around the world, including the U.S., Argentina, Chile, El Salvador and Colombia, pledged rescue teams and humanitarian aid.
South Florida’s task forces won’t just be bringing manpower, but also equipment for breaching, lifting and supporting structures in collapsed zones.
“Our initial approach is to make sure that every single person we can save is going to be saved,” said Obed Frometa, the Readiness Coordinator for Florida Task Force One.
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