Surfside condo collapse: Local professional on what Florida search and rescue efforts may look like

DAYTON — As the ongoing search and rescue efforts at the building collapse in Surfside, Florida continues, a member of a local search and rescue team explains what teams in Florida may be doing.

Phil Sinewe, with Ohio Task Force 1, was shocked to see the footage of the Champlain Towers South building collapsing.

“I look at that and go ‘this is not going to be a good outcome,’” Sinewe told News Center 7′s Candace Price.

So far, one person has died and 99 people are unaccounted for.

Sinewe said his team, which is based out of Dayton, are “essentially exactly the same” as the teams working to locate survivors.

>> RELATED: Surfside condo collapse live updates: 99 unaccounted for, 1 dead as search efforts continue

Their response Sinewe said, would typically be the same.

“I’m sure they’re into a process of evaluating what parts of the building can be searched, what parts of the building likely have survivors and how they’re going to work into those spaces,” Sinewe said.

Crews in Surfside are likely using heavy rescue equipment to break into and drill holes in concrete in order to gain access into the voids under the rubble.

While the goal is to find as many survivors quickly, Sinewe said there are challenges for the rescue teams, including the risk for additional or secondary collapse.

“We have seen recorded rescues [of] 10-12 days. That’s a stretch,” Sinewe said, adding that he believes teams in Florida have about 5 or 6 days to find those trapped inside alive.

Sinewe said that OHTF1 had been placed on official “alert” from FEMA on Thursday evening. The alert means that OHTF1 will need to take the final steps in order to be fully prepare for possible deployment.

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