Political Quotes

“I rise today to honor the bravery and selfless service of the individuals who responded to the building collapse in Surfside, FL, on June 24, 2021. I want to thank the FL-1 Urban Search and Rescue Task Force--FL-TF1-- for responding when the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, FL, suddenly collapsed in the middle of the night. They swiftly heeded the call of duty to provide search, rescue, and recovery efforts following the collapse. In the face of tremendous tragedy, they ran into danger. They are heroes. FL-TF1 is one of 28 Federal search and rescue task forces overseen by FEMA, and its capabilities include search and rescue, emergency care, engineering expertise, and logistics. When they are not being dispatched to countries in crisis, many of them work for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue as local firefighters. FL-TF1 has responded to some of the world's most notable disasters, including earthquakes, terrorist attacks, and plane crashes, among others. They responded once before in their own community, when Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida in 1992. Their expertise and range of skills has made them invaluable in disasters and well-known internationally. These brave men and women dropped everything to selflessly assist in Surfside, a particular challenge since the tragedy affected their own community, and some had missing friends or loved ones.…”