COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state of Ohio has sent dozens of people to Florida this week to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. AEP Ohio and Ohio Task Force 1 confirmed they are there and ready to help in any way they can, knowing they’ll likely have their work cut out for them.
AEP Ohio sent 10% of its workforce to provide support to the panhandle this week. Once it passes, the crews will head to areas where they are needed.
"Our employees that we are sending down are highly trained individuals, they do go through a four to five year apprenticeship to become what we call a journey-level line worker, so they're very skilled in all kinds of different aspects of the trade,” said Matt Bennett, director of operations for AEP Ohio.
Bennett said he’s helped provide support for hurricanes in the past, and he said it's an eye-opening experience.
"You see people’s houses that are damaged and just, you know, a roof missing, or half a house is gone and these people are coming out to you and offering food or water and water and they're just so thankful you're there,” Bennett said.
Ohio Task Force 1 also announced that its crews are mobilizing to assist with relief efforts. The organizations said the early activation of its crews will put in them in a better position to respond to affected areas if officials request assistance.
Eighty-two members of Ohio Task Force 1 will support local first responders without placing additional demands on local resources. The members are skilled in various aspects of search and rescue operations.
"We basically were advised to be prepared to go into action and start moving any time after dark tonight,” said Jim O’Connor, an Ohio Task Force 1 leader.
O’Connor said they got the official notification that they were being deployed to Orlando Tuesday morning.
"Once we get that notification, we have a four-hour window to have our team ready to go and be able to be on the road,” O’Connor said.
The group is made up of firefighters and physicians. O’Connor said several Columbus Fire Department firefighters as well as an OSU Wexner Medical Center physician are just a few of the many Ohioans on-site to assist.
All day Thursday, the group’s focus was on preparation, ensuring the equipment like inflatable and metal boats as well as chainsaws are ready to go.
"We hope its minimal damage and there's not much need for our service. That's best for everybody,” O’Connor said.
The crews will be stationed in Florida until their services are no longer needed.
The National Weather Service office in Tallahassee forecast storm surges of up to 20 feet (6 meters) and warned they could be particularly “catastrophic and unsurvivable” in Florida's Apalachee Bay. It added that high winds and heavy rains also posed risks
The governors of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas have all declared emergencies in their states.
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