Team from Bay County Sheriff's Office returns from Suwannee relief effort

PANAMA CITY — A response team with the Bay County Sheriff's Office has returned from a deployment to Suwannee County after assisting with the Hurricane Helene recovery effort .

In a phone interview, Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said his agency was returning the favor out of gratitude for those who assisted Bay County in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in 2018.

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He said the response team consisted of around 20 personnel. The team set up a base camp with space for sleeping, cooking and bathrooms so they could be self-sustaining.

They helped clear roads, did patrols, assisted in meeting residents' needs, managed resources, and provided some relief to Suwannee County law enforcement as they themselves reeled from the storm.

Suwanee County was left entirely without power after Helene's landfall, and the team stayed until the power was mostly back on.

Ford is also the chair of the Florida Sheriffs Task Force , where he helps coordinate responses and resources between sheriff's offices to respond to disasters.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Team from Bay County Sheriff's Office returns from Suwannee relief effort