Pittsburgh firefighters working to repair the homes of Florida firefighters, still on duty following Hurricane Ian’s impact

By Kalea Gunderson

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    PITTSBURGH (WTAE) — A team of local firefighters is in Florida on a mission to help their comrades in need.

Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Captain John Gardell said many Florida firefighters likely haven’t stopped working since Hurricane Ian made impact last week.

Gardell is working with the International Association of Fire Fighters Disaster Relief Team, alongside firefighters from Pittsburgh, Bethlehem, Altoona, and Prince William County, Virginia departments to respond specifically to the damaged homes of fellow firefighters.

“Our main focus is working on the homes of firefighters that have been mandated to stay on duty for long hours,” Gardell said.

By “long hours,” he’s talking days. He said some firefighters haven’t been home since Hurricane Ian swept through last week.

“I went down to Fort Myers Beach today to check on a member’s home, and it was absolutely the most devastating scene I’ve ever seen,” Gardell said.

The death toll from the storm rose to at least 87 on Sunday. The majority of the deaths have been reported in Charlotte County where Ian made landfall.

As of Sunday night, 1.3 million people were without power. Florida Power and Light said it could be months before all service is restored.

Gardell and his team are distributing drinking water, boarding up windows, covering damaged roofs with tarps, and checking on firefighters’ families.

“Making sure they have fuel for their generators. There is absolutely no power in those areas, and they don’t expect it back. They’re being told a month to four months, if you can even contemplate that,” Gardell said.

Gardell said leaving Pittsburgh for a week minimum was an easy choice, knowing many of his fellow firefighters in Florida are working without homes to return to.

“I know that they would do it for me as well,” Gardell said. “Knowing that my brothers will come up and help me, make it very easy for us to get down here.”

Gardell said he thanks Pittsburgh Firefighters Local #1 and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire for giving them the time to go down to Florida to help.

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