Davenport, Iowa — Florida Governor and Republican Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis sent staff from two Florida agencies to the site of a partial building collapse in Davenport.
On May 28th, one of the support braces on the apartment building in Davenport buckled and bricks began to fall from the six-story structure. This past weekend, the bodies of three residents were recovered from the rubble. Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Twitter that he’s sending staff from his state’s emergency management division and the Florida DOT to assist in the ongoing recovery in Davenport.
The 13 members of Sioux City’s fire-rescue unit who serve on Iowa Task Force One responded to the collapse, and are now home from their emergency mission in Davenport. The Sioux City team joined members from Cedar Rapids on the disaster scene, where Lieutenant Joe Rodriquez says they were there to help Davenport agencies search for victims.
All three bodies were found this past weekend. The task force brought a full cache of rescue equipment and worked in 12-hour shifts around the clock. Rodriquez says the Cedar Rapids group arrived a day before his Sioux City squad and stabilized the building so it was safe to search the debris-filled basement.
Rodriquez says members of the task force wanted to bring closure to the families of the three people who were missing.
Iowa Task Force One trains year-round for emergency situations, focusing on things like structural collapse and swift water rescues, with experts on the team who specialize in structural engineering, medicine and K-9 handling.
