Recognizing the Miami-Dade Police Department

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the bravery and selfless service of the individuals who responded to the building collapse in Surfside, FL, on June 24, 2021.

I want to thank the Miami-Dade Police Department--MDPD--for responding when the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, FL, suddenly collapsed in the middle of the night. In the face of tremendous tragedy, they ran into danger. They are heroes.

The MDPD responded within minutes of the collapse and their rapid response saved lives. These brave men and women worked around the clock to support search and rescue efforts and provide protection and comfort to the entire Surfside community. They worked tirelessly, and they never gave up hope.

We are grateful for the MDPD's efforts to lead the investigation into the collapse and the challenging work of sifting through millions of pounds of debris, searching for remains and personal items to bring closure to families. They worked closely with faith leaders to ensure search and rescue efforts were done with respect.

I also would like to personally thank MDPD Director Alfredo Ramirez III, Chief Rosanna Cordero-Stutz, Officer Deborah Valdes, as well as every law enforcement officer, victim advocate, and individual at the MDPD for heeding the tremendous call of duty to assist with missing persons reports and identification and notification processing for the victims and their families. This was an extremely difficult task, and they worked around the clock to bring order, comfort, and often closure to the families. Our hearts go out to all of those that lost loved ones.

I would also like to thank the MDPD chaplains who did everything they could to support the needs of those responding to the collapse and to all of the families that were impacted by this tragedy. The chaplains were a source of comfort and ensured that the emotional and religious needs of the families and first responders were met.

The MDPD also offered countless resources to the community, ensuring that short-term and long-term needs were met, including counseling and comfort, shelter, and assistance to all who needed it. They were instrumental in making sure that families were constantly updated and that all of their questions were answered in a timely and efficient manner, to the greatest extent possible. They provided as much transparency and kindness as they could during this unimaginable tragedy.

The MDPD teams worked to recover personal property and religious artifacts and followed careful collection protocols. They worked around the clock to ensure all recovered personal property and family heirlooms were treated with the utmost respect and with great consideration for faith traditions when recovering items of religious significance. So many came together, as one, in the relentless pursuit to save lives. We honor the precious lives lost and pay homage to loved ones and all those that have suffered immensely.

Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to keep Floridians safe, and this was no exception. We can never thank them enough for their bravery, self-sacrifice, and determination in the face of this terrible tragedy. Ann and I are praying for the Surfside community, our Jewish community, the families and loved ones of the lost, and all of those who worked tirelessly to serve the Surfside community.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source