MISSOULA - The Western Montana All-Hazard Incident Management Team has returned home after helping Florida residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
The team — which was one of 13 Type 3 teams to go to the Sunshine State in late September — was sent to the city of North Port in Sarasota County.
The first stage of their work included search and rescue efforts and they responded to more than 500 calls for service to the fire department.
They prioritized basic needs including giving out water and setting up shelters for medical response and general housing.
Once the situation began to stabilize, the focus shifted to recovery efforts such as sorting and removing debris and setting the stage for federal resources.
The Missoula County team was on the job for 18 days and members say they can now apply the experience and skills to disasters closer to home like wildfires.
