The images and stories out of southwest Florida following Hurricane Ian are heartbreaking, but as residents try to pick up the pieces of the destruction, there has been an overwhelming outpour of support from South Florida. NBC 6’s Victor Jorges reports.
The images and stories out of southwest Florida following Hurricane Ian are heartbreaking, but as residents try to pick up the pieces of the destruction, there has been an overwhelming outpouring of support from South Florida.
Donation drives, fundraising events, and officers being deployed have all been ways the South Florida community has stepped up to help.
Saturday morning, about 200 officers from Miami-Dade County and the City of Hollywood left to Fort Myers to help out their brothers and sisters in blue.
“We are human, and we understand we’ve been here before,” said Chief Delma Noel-Pratt, the President of the Miami-Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police.
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Noel-Pratt told NBC 6 that 16 agencies were sending about 180 personnel in 89 vehicles to aid their neighbors on the Gulf Coast.
The teams were transporting gear that might be needed and said it is just the first phase of their commitment to show support.
“This is not new to us,” said Noel-Pratt. “We wanted to make sure that we gave of ourselves and we sent our various personnel up there to give assistance as best as possible.”
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The chief said their teams are on call for whatever is needed - from passing out water, to using gear and equipment.
Noel-Pratt added that moving to southwest Florida is just a part of their commitment and a part of being in law enforcement.
“We’re mothers, we’re fathers, we’re brothers and we’re sisters,” she said. “We’re going to support other human beings. We never really understand why this happens, but when it does occur we come together and do as much as we can to make it as easy as possible for those that we come in contact with.”
