{"id":318629,"date":"2026-06-24T21:35:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/318629\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T21:35:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:35:08","slug":"northwest-florida-task-force-reflects-on-surfside-condo-collapse-5-years-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/318629\/","title":{"rendered":"Northwest Florida task force reflects on Surfside condo collapse 5 years later"},"content":{"rendered":"

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – On Wednesday in South Florida, the Surfside community gathered to mark five years since a condo collapse claimed 98 lives<\/a>, sparking a massive search and rescue effort from thousands of first responders. <\/p>\n

Among the armada of heroes was Florida Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 7, based in Northwest Florida. <\/p>\n

Division Chief of Special Operations at the Tallahassee Fire Department, Chief Allen Willis, reflected on the tragedy and its impact 5 years later. <\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, it just really, it had a profound effect on my life, and I think about it all the time,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

His collection of challenge coins is a reminder of his work at the Surfside condo collapse in June 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember the travel down there was a 13-hour trek in a convoy,\u201d Willis said. \u201cIt just was an eerie feeling, right? One, seeing it and not knowing if the structure is still going to collapse, but knowing that families are in there, people are lost, and we have a job to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team worked around the clock on 12-hour shifts to find victims and bring closure.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemove debris, cutting rebar and concrete, breaking large debris into smaller debris,\u201d Willis explained.<\/p>\n

More news out of the Big Bend:<\/p>\n

Congressman Jimmy Patronis was Florida\u2019s Fire Marshal at the time. He says he is proud of his hometown task force. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got incredible superheroes right in your own back yard,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re like family. To see Northwest Florida respond to the Miami Heat was something that meant an awful lot to me, being a north Florida guy.\u201d <\/p>\n

Willis says thanks to Patronis and others, state task force funding went way up post-Surfside, meaning better equipment and training for when or if a tragedy like this happens again. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are lightyears ahead of where we were equipment-wise,\u201d Willis said. <\/p>\n

It is also important to remember the mental toll the collapse had on those first responders. Patronis said they saw early retirements statewide in the aftermath of the tragedy. <\/p>\n

For Willis, he said meeting the Surfside victim families a year later and reading some names aloud helped him a great deal. <\/p>\n

To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n

Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n