Florida Fire Fighters Assist in Super Storm Sandy Aftermath

December 4, 2012— In the aftermath of Super Storm Sandy, IAFF members from several states, including Florida, provided assistance to citizens in need. Members of Fort Walton Beach Local 2601, Walton County Local 4413 and North Bay Local 3505 were deployed as part of FL-1 Disaster Medical Team (DMAT).

Under the Department of Homeland Security, these teams are deployed to disaster sites to provide emergency medical care, staff medical shelters or medical stations, augment hospital staff, provide veterinary care or conduct disaster mortuary operations.

IAFF members on FL-1 DMAT include Local 2601 fire fighter/EMTs Gary Kruschke, Mark Pifer and David Messerschmidt; Local 4413 fire fighter/paramedics Jeffery McCann and Rich Allison; and Local 3505 paramedic Joseph “Butch” Parker.

The team was assigned to work a 250 bed shelter in Edison, New Jersey, to provide medical assistance. Additionally, the team went door-to-door to thousands of area homes and apartments to see if anyone who did not evacuate needed anything such as medical prescriptions.
FL-1 DMAT was on site for 16 days before returning home.