Coconut Creek Fire Rescue Leaders Deploy to Venezuela on FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Mission

by Sharon Aron Baron June 30, 2026

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Battalion Chief Nemesek and Captain Herrera. {Coconut Creek Fire Rescue}

Two members of Coconut Creek Fire Rescue are deploying to Venezuela as part of an elite urban search and rescue team trained to respond to disasters involving collapsed structures.

Battalion Chief Nemesek and Captain Herrera departed South Florida over the weekend aboard a military flight to Venezuela as members of South Florida Task Force 2, a Federal Emergency Management Agency urban search and rescue team.

The deployment is expected to last at least 10 days.

The pair are among approximately 60 firefighters and other first responders participating in the mission.

South Florida Task Force 2 specializes in urban search and rescue operations following disasters that leave people trapped beneath collapsed buildings and other debris. Team members receive specialized training to locate victims, safely remove them from hazardous environments, stabilize rescue sites, and provide emergency medical care.

According to Coconut Creek Fire Rescue, work often requires rescuers to operate in and around unstable piles of collapsed rubble, using specialized equipment and rescue techniques to reach survivors.

Battalion Chief Nemesek and Captain Herrera completed the extensive training required to serve on the FEMA-affiliated task force before being selected for the deployment.

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