SURFSIDE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department says about 80 volunteers left Jacksonville Sunday afternoon to help with rescue efforts of the collapsed condo in Surfside.
With more than 100 people unaccounted for and at least nine dead, rescuers are using both heavy equipment and their own hands to comb through the wreckage in a search for survivors after a seaside condominium tower collapsed Thursday morning.
About half of the volunteers from Jacksonville are scheduled to begin working at the site beginning at midnight.
On Saturday, a mobile command center from JFRD with a crew of volunteers to staff it arrived in Miami to assist crews on the scene. The mobile command center is a 53-foot semi that will help run all operations. Along with the command center, volunteers from the JFRD will also help the search effort at the site.
"The search and rescue team worked throughout the night and it was a very active scene from above and below," said Miami Dade County Mayor Daniella Cava during the morning news conference. "We also brought heavy machinery onto the site to assist with the operation, and so we are very very grateful that our president has authorized FEMA support."
A spokesperson for FEMA confirmed that federal emergency aid has been made available to the state of Florida to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the tragedy.
There has been an official donation page set up for survivors and families of people who have died. You can click here to visit that website.
First Coast News has also compiled a list of locations that are safe for you to easily open your hearts and give what you can to help families impacted by this tragedy. You can view that full list here.