Rescuers search the wreckage for survivors using dogs, hearing aids and cameras
Miami-Date Fire District Chief Jason Richard told CNN that as rescuers move toward the pile of debris, structural engineers are working to determine where it is safe to enter and where additional shoveling and other materials are needed. Or fall on rescuers.
“So we’m constantly monitoring as we walk through the building, making sure there’s no movement;
(Credit: David Santiago / Miami Herald / AB)
The search began over the rubble, rescuing those slightly trapped, Richard said. The search then moved to noisy areas – firefighters followed the sounds and rescued those who called for help. Then the search went to the garage.
Rescue workers are using dogs from the Miami-Tate Fire Department and Florida Task Force One, as well as asking for survivors search equipment. Teams look at the pile of rubble and scream, hearing any sounds, plates, or voices.
At this point Richard told CNN that “we are stopping all our activities and making everyone quiet and listen.” “It will continue to move piles of rubble along with dogs and hearing aids. We have cameras that can be placed in holes in concrete slabs and placed in other small voids so that they can be seen in corners and small areas.
According to Richard, although this is a “pancake” slope (top to bottom), the concrete layers slide and form voids as they move towards the floor.
“So we hope to find patients in those areas, we have identified gaps and they are the focus of our efforts,” he said.
Depending on where they are looking and the intensity of the work, firefighters may be on duty for 15 minutes or less, Richard said. In the garage, for example, changes due to water, sparks and other elements can take less than 15 minutes.
About 30 firefighters are currently on a rotating basis in search and rescue operations.
