TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Blaise Ingoglia met with Florida’s Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) teams as they returned from an approximately 16-day deployment to Texas, where they responded to devastating flooding across the state’s central region. More than 60 personnel from Florida Task Forces 1, 4, and 8 covered a 265-mile search area, conducting life-saving flood rescues, swift-water boat operations, high-water vehicle missions, and canine-assisted searches.

CFO and State Fire Marshal Blaise Ingoglia said, “It was an honor to welcome home some of Florida’s finest, true heroes who braved dangerous conditions to work to save lives in Texas. These teams worked tirelessly across hundreds of miles of flood-ravaged terrain, and we’re proud to have them back home safe. When storms or disasters impact Florida, Texas has had our back, and it’s an honor to return the favor and support our neighbors out west as they work to recover from devastating flooding. This deployment reflects Florida’s unwavering commitment to disaster response and mutual aid in our nation's greatest times of need.”