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Surfside rescue effort is the largest non-hurricane deployment in Florida history, state says

About 370 urban search and rescue members from across the state have responded to the beachside town.

SURFSIDE, Fla. — The monumental effort to find survivors amid the rubble of the collapsed Champlain Towers South condominium building involves several statewide task force teams working at the site.

It is the largest non-hurricane deployment of rescue crews in Florida's history, State Fire Marshal and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said in a news release.

About 370 urban search and rescue members, including those from the Tampa Bay region, have been called upon since the collapse Thursday. They make up the state's eight Urban Search and Rescue Task Force teams, which respond to communities impacted by a natural or man-made disaster.

RELATED: Tampa Bay crews head to Surfside to assist in rescue operations

Credit: AP
Crews work in the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo, Sunday, June 27, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. Many people were still unaccounted for after Thursday's fatal collapse. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

While working to sort through debris to find those who might be still alive, they take the occasional break to check their pulse and oxygen levels – and then they go back to work, Patronis said.

"I couldn’t be prouder of these heroes who have come from all corners of the state and internationally to provide lifesaving support," he said in a statement, in part. "We must continue to pray for our first responders as they work around the clock to save the lives at risk because of this terrible tragedy."

Large slabs of concrete are beginning to be pulled off the debris pile, allowing workers to carry smaller pieces into buckets, The Associated Press reported. Some voids in the rubble have been located, mostly in the basement and parking garage. 

The number of people confirmed dead climbed to 10 on Monday. There remain at least 150 people still unaccounted for.

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