PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Fourteen firefighters from several Palm Beach County agencies have deployed to Venezuela as part of an elite Urban Search and Rescue mission following one of the deadliest natural disasters in Latin America in recent years.

The deployment includes firefighters from Jupiter, Delray Beach, Juno Beach and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, all serving with Florida Task Force 2 after being activated by the U.S. Department of State to assist with international rescue operations. (WPBF)

Their mission comes after two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude struck northern Venezuela just seconds apart, leaving widespread devastation across the coastal region, particularly in La Guaira and surrounding communities. (Reuters)

As of Sunday, officials report:

• More than 1,400 people have been killed

• More than 3,000 people have been injured

• Tens of thousands remain unaccounted for or displaced

• International rescue teams from more than 20 countries are now assisting in search and recovery efforts. (Reuters)

Search crews continue working around the clock despite dangerous aftershocks and damaged infrastructure. While the critical 72-hour rescue window has passed, responders have continued finding survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings, including several children rescued by international teams over the weekend. (Reuters)

Florida Task Force 2 is among the nation’s premier FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams. Members are specially trained in structural collapse rescue, technical search operations, disaster medicine, hazardous materials response, communications, logistics, and K-9 search operations. Their equipment allows them to operate independently in disaster zones while searching for survivors in unstable structures.

Although Florida teams are best known for responding to hurricanes, they regularly deploy across the United States and internationally for catastrophic disasters. Florida Urban Search and Rescue teams have responded to major events including the September 11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and the 2021 Surfside condominium collapse.

The Palm Beach County firefighters are joining a much larger U.S. response that also includes Florida Task Force 1 from Miami-Dade, along with additional federal resources coordinated through the U.S. Department of State. (wplg)

As these firefighters leave their own families behind, they represent the dedication of first responders who answer the call wherever lives are in danger. Their work in Venezuela is expected to continue for at least two weeks as search, rescue and humanitarian operations remain underway.

Sources

• WPTV

• Reuters

• Associated Press

• WLRN Public Media

• Local 10 News

• CBS12

Support Independent Journalism

If you appreciate balanced local and national reporting from IRC Media, please consider supporting our work by visiting www.ircmedia.net or supporting us at buymeacoffee.com/ircmedia.

IRC Media uses artificial intelligence as a research assistant to help verify publicly available information. Every article is reviewed by a human editor prior to publication.