TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa police officers and firefighters were deployed on Saturday to assist the North Port Police Department with search and rescue efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

Mayor Jane Castor, Police Chief Mary O'Connor and Fire Rescue Chief Barbara Tripp were there to meet and thank 55 first responders who were getting ready to head out to aid residents devastated by Hurricane Ian. 

"This is what they got on the job for to serve the public and give back" said O'Connor. "This is a shining example of them giving back. I'm so proud of the work that they are doing this week." 

Forty police officers and 15 firefighters from Tampa will spend the next week in North Port. City officials said that, if needed, a second team of officers is ready to be deployed to relieve the first.

The team from Tampa rolled out from police headquarters with their high-water equipment and gear to assist North Port with traffic and road closures to block dangerous, flooded areas, aid with curfew enforcement, debris removal and food distribution.

Tripp talked to Spectrum Bay News 9 about the planning that goes into this type of deployment. 

"It's a lot of logistics that you have to put together," she said. "You have to get the personnel. You have to make sure they are safe. You have to make sure their families are taken care of as well, and we just have to get all of our logistics to assist other communities.

"We still have to make sure those logistics and equipment are here to take care of the Tampa Bay area as well."

The Tampa team will be joining several other agencies, like the Polk County Sheriff's Office, that have already deployed to help those impacted by the storm.