LOCAL HEROES ASSIST IN AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE MICHAEL

ABOVE: Photo by Mount Dora Firefighter Dara Hennessey with Central Florida Search and Rescue Team 4

It is the acts of courage and kindness that stand out amidst the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Michael.   Firefighters from the Eustis Fire Department and Lake County Fire Rescue set out on a 10-day mission to be part of an Engine Strike Team deployed to provide assistance in Florida’s ravaged Panhandle.

Team leader Eustis Fire Chief Mike Swanson and team assistant Lt. David Ziegler from the Lake County Fire Rescue lead Engine Strike Team 501 which also includes personnel from Clermont Fire Department, Cape Canaveral Fire Rescue,  St. Lucie Fire District, and Indian River Fire Department.

---

ABOVE: Engine Strike Team 501 lead by Eustis Fire Department and Lake County Fire Rescue.departments.

The strike team is now stationed in Chattahoochee, Florida, northeast of Panama City, where they continue to assist with recon, rescue, food and water deliveries, as well as 911 responses and filling in for departments that have been hit the hardest by the Category 4 storm.

Dara Hennessey, a firefighter with Mount Dora Fire Department was deployed with Central Florida’s Urban Search and Rescue Team:  Task Force 4.  Hennessey is a technical information specialist that researches disaster areas, develops action plans and manages technical information.  This team is comprised of 46 specially trained firefighters from across Central Florida. 

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. To get the area's top stories in your inbox once a month, sign up for the free monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz here. ​​​​​​​​​

---