Central Florida's 'Taskforce 4' returns from Surfside only to shift focus on Elsa recovery

ORLANDO, Fla. - For the last week, the rescuers of Central Florida’s Taskforce Four were in South Florida, searching for those missing in the Surfside condo collapse. 

"It sets you back and kind of takes your breath away," said Lt Tripp Hansen, a member of Taskforce Four and Seminole County Fire Rescue.

For 12 hours a day, Hansen and fellow first-responders worked around dangerous debris like metal, concrete blocks, and broken furniture. 

"Until you see it in person, it doesn't do it justice seeing the pictures," Hansen said.

These brave rescuers from different agencies didn't have much rest after returning to their Central Florida homes.  Their mission shifted to Elsa. 

"It's always, it's hurricane season, so any time you see that storm pop up in the Gulf or the Atlantic, it's like 'Okay, let's start thinking about what we need to get prepped to go and what we need to do,'" Hansen said. "We're a pretty self-sufficient team, so bathroom trailers, a canteen so we can cook for the team, so wherever they want to put us we can be self-sufficient and we don't have to have a whole lot of other infrastructure with us." 

Hansen says it's what they signed up for. 

"I enjoy helping people. This just gives that different aspect of not just helping the community but being able to help communities around the state.