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24 NOVEMBER 2017 | EMSWORLD.com I In the wake of back-to-back hurricanes Harvey and Irma, first responders and healthcare organizations scrambled to provide relief to those most impacted by the destruction of the storms. Search and rescue teams, physicians and nurses, EMTs, firefighters and law enforcement worked tirelessly to help ensure the safety of the displaced residents of Texas, Florida and the Caribbean islands. EMS physician Benjamin Abo, DO, EMT-P, EMT-T for UF Health , a specialist in austere and international EMS and medical team manager for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Urban Search and Rescue Florida Task Force 1, is one of many responders who participated in search and rescue operations after the hur- ricanes. His task force team had been home in Florida after helping with Hurricane Harvey rescue efforts in Texas for less than 48 hours when they were deployed again to the Florida Keys after Irma struck. "We're the tip of the spear for disaster rescue, so we're the first to go in and do whatever we need to do," says Abo. "The mission for this disaster was to seek out and identify surviving people and pets in the city of Marathon and identify needs for evacua- tion rescue." Abo and his 50-member team typically work from sunrise to sunset (or up to 24 hours, depending on the disaster), travel- ing through residential and commercial areas with the goal of clearing every single structure. They help transport or direct citi- zens to local hospitals and other resources for assistance. This disaster felt strangely familiar, though. "We were doing full-mobilization exercises August 22–24 just outside of Houston, and then as soon as we got back, we then were deployed back to Houston for the hurricane," Abo says. Not long after that they had to return to Florida because of Hurricane Irma. Despite the time crunch, Abo believes the exercise was highly valuable. "It was very, very helpful," he says. "It gives people hope that we can respond and helps us have a real In the wake of major hurricanes, EMS providers play an important role in response and recovery By Valerie Amato AFTER THE STORM SUBSIDES Photo: Axel Roman