Indiana Task Force 1 leaves for Florida ahead of Tropical Storm Helene
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana Task Force 1 left for Florida on Tuesday to aid in recovery efforts for Tropical Storm Helene, which is expected to become a hurricane before it hits the Sunshine State on Thursday.
Storm warnings and evacuation orders have already been put in place for Helene. The storm is expected to cause significant damage to Florida and other southern states. The Federal Emergency Management Agency activated 80 members of the Indiana search-and-rescue team.
Ryan Cusack is a trained search-and-rescue operator with the Crown Point Fire Department. He will help search for the helpless in Florida.
“This is my partner, Jake. He’s a Labrador retriever. His job is to find survivors after disaster,” Cusack said. “Specifically, he looks for survivors that might be too weak or even unconscious, that are unable to call out for help, and when he finds them he starts to bark and that’s what alerts us to the presence of the victim so we can go and rescue them.”
Cusack says he has been a search-and-rescue expert for 10 years. Helene will be his sixth hurricane, and it will be his last with Jake, who has saved countless people.
“He’s 12.5 years old. He started when he was a year and a half, and a little bit of training to get him to the point of certification,” Cusack said. “So, he actually retires at the end of this year.”
Indiana Task Force 1 leadership says the crew going to Florida is well-equipped and ready to jump in and help.
Battalion Chief Jay Settergen with Indianapolis Fire Department said, “We’re there to assist the locals with any needs. They’re most likely going to be overwhelmed with the storm surge with the storm coming through. We obviously work with and for them when we get there so as the need arises we will be ready to fill in a void and help out.”