MIAMI — Hundreds of members of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue received a hero’s welcome Sunday after returning from Venezuela, where they spent more than a week assisting search and rescue efforts following devastating twin earthquakes that struck the South American nation.
The deployment included members of Florida Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces 1 and 2, made up of 159 personnel and 11 rescue canines, who worked alongside Venezuelan emergency responders and international rescue teams in some of the country’s hardest-hit communities.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah praised the returning crews during a welcome ceremony at Miami International Airport, calling their efforts among the department’s finest humanitarian missions.
“You folks are the faces of hope to the thousands, tens of thousands of Venezuelans that are out there,” Jadallah said. “Hold your heads up real high, because you guys are absolute heroes.”
The earthquakes caused extensive damage across northern Venezuela, with La Guaira state and the nearby capital, Caracas, among the areas most heavily affected.
Captain German Leal, a member of Florida Task Force 1 who grew up in Venezuela, said the mission carried special meaning.
“It was difficult,” Leal said, describing collapsed buildings and widespread destruction. “I usually go there on vacation and go see my family, and this time the uniform was on, and it was time to go to work.”
The highly trained teams specialize in urban search and rescue operations during natural disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes and structural collapses. During the deployment, crews searched damaged buildings, supported local emergency responders and assisted communities affected by the disaster.
Florida’s urban search and rescue teams have responded to major disasters worldwide, earning an international reputation for rapid deployment and technical rescue capabilities.
Officials have not released a final tally of rescues or recoveries performed during the eight-day mission.
The return of the task force marks the conclusion of another international humanitarian deployment for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, whose personnel have frequently been called upon to assist communities recovering from catastrophic natural disasters.
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