VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Eight members of Virginia Task Force 2 (VA-TF2) have deployed to Florida to support with Tropical Storm Helene, formerly known as Potential Tropical Cyclone #9.

According to officials, VA-TF2 was activated at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, and the team departed from the FEMA Warehouse on Viking Drive at 10:30 a.m.

WAVY’s Alyssa Ranker captured video of the team preparing for deployment.

Task force two is a specialized rescue organization made up of local firefighters, EMS personnel, K-9 handlers, engineers and physicians who support FEMA in emergencies.

They are highly trained and ready to deploy within a few hours notice. “This is nobody’s first day in the warehouse, nobody’s first day down the road, whether we go to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, anywhere. It’s just another area for us to work in,” Logistics Manager, SeanLiebold said.

Their job includes stabilizing damaged structures, evaluating hazardous materials situations, and rescuing and providing medical care to trapped and stranded victims.
They are prepared for all possibilities when they get to Florida.

“That’s kind of up in the air? It just depends on what kind of what kind of storm damage or the damage the storm bring,” Logistics Manager, Mike Newman said.

The team is expected to arrive in Orlando by midnight, where they will then assist agencies in Orlando as needed.

Tropical Storm Helene formed in the Caribbean Tuesday morning, with winds at 45 mph. The National Hurricane Center said winds are expected to “rapidly intensify” within the next few days and make landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida.