Florida Task Force 5

Florida Task Force 5 is the Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) team based out of Station 4. It is comprised of over 100 JFRD personnel trained and deployable as a Type II US&R state assent. The team was formed after the 911 incidents indicated the need for states to have local response teams in addition to the federal US&R teams. JFRD has stepped up and answered the call by training almost double the necessary personnel mandated by the state. All ranks of the JFRD have completed all of the required training, making FLTF 5 one of the few single department US&R teams in the state. Since coming on line in 2004, FLTF5 has deployed to 4 hurricane (Wilma, Ivan, Dennis) related call outs, including acting as a Type I to Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina. Recently the personnel from the task force acted locally to recover the body of a worker killed in a total collapse of the 5 story parking garage at Berkman Plaza, in downtown Jacksonville.