Gainesville first responders saw firsthand the devastation that Hurricane Michael caused in the panhandle.
Ten paramedics from the Alachua County Fire Rescue were deployed to Panama City and then went to Mexico Beach a few days later. They were there for a week and helped urban search and rescue teams and provided relief to other teams by responding to 911 calls. The first responders were not expecting the level of destruction from the hurricane.
"What they've told me is, you know, the pictures tell one story but being there certainly is different to understand the magnitude of the impact," said Harold Theus, Alachua County Fire Rescue Chief Deputy.
Another crew of 10 responders were deployed to the panhandle for a week of volunteer duty.