Polk deploys to Taylor County in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene

Polk County was spared on September 26th when Hurricane Helene stayed far enough to our west, allowing us to avoid major damages. Others in Florida were not as fortunate.
The Category 4 storm made landfall in Taylor County at about 11:10 pm that evening. Taylor County is a large, but rural county, located about twenty miles southeast of Tallahassee. It’s probably best known for being the home of the Big Bend Wildlife Management Area.
To put Taylor County in perspective, Polk County is 2,011 total square miles with a population of 725,000. Taylor County is 1,232 total square miles with about 22,000 residents.
According to USA Today, within five minutes of landfall more than half of Taylor County was without electricity, and after an hour the entire county was completely without power.
It was a long night for them, for sure, but by sunrise, help was already on the way.
As we have done many times before, a lending hand has been extended from Polk County.
We call it the Polk County Emergency Self-Contained Rescue Team, and at 6:45 am on Friday, September 27, 2024, the team left the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Hangar at Bartow Executive Airport with a destination of Perry, Florida-the county seat in Taylor County.
The team is comprised of about 45 PCSO and Polk County Fire Rescue members who volunteer to help out. Their convoy included mobile command centers, mobile kitchen, showers, bunks, generators, water tanks, fuel trucks, a swamp buggy, boats, ATV’s, patrol cars, and ambulances.
When these teams deploy to areas that have been struck by a catastrophe, they coordinate with local officials and set up where they are most needed. All of the team’s equipment and resources are set up in a compound-like camp, and they are self-contained. That way, they don’t use any valuable resources from the stricken area.
Once they set up, the team will provide police, fire, EMS, and support services for a specified area until the community is stabilized. PCSO members will not only provide law enforcement, but will also assist with rescues and recovery. They work in 12-hour shifts.
The people of Polk County were on the receiving end of massive devastation following three hurricanes in 2004, so we know what it’s like to be knocked down in such a way. We had flooding, no electricity, homes were destroyed, and roadways weren’t drivable. We’ve been there…we understand how much a helping hand from the outside can mean so much.
It’s why we do what we do.
#PolkCounty #Deployment #HurricaneHelene