POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd joined Spectrum Bay News 9 for a Zoom interview on Wednesday evening to provide an update on the county’s response to Hurricane Ian.

Judd said deputies are responding to emergency calls now, adding that winds are so high that ambulances cannot respond, but paramedics are joining deputies in their patrol, high-water cars and they are still responding to emergencies.

He said they deputies have been assisting EMS because their box trucks are too big to send out, and that fire trucks are still responding to fires, and the sheriff’s office is still joining them as well.

Judd added that they are also dealing with minor house fires where electric lines are arcing against houses, on top of lots of rain and high winds.

“At the end of the day, we’re here all night, as you can well expect, and we’re going to do what’s right to protect the people and keep them safe, and then tomorrow at first light, just as soon as we can get out of the heavy part of the storm, then our push teams will be out clearing even more roads,” said Judd. “We cleared roads until the weather just got too horrible, and most of the major arteries through this county are passable. We can get emergency services in and out.”

Judd said that push teams are providing assistance, which are made up of county employees and deputies, and have heavy-duty equipment, four-wheel drives and chainsaws.

He said the goal is to simply get the trees out of the roads so they can get emergency services through, and that they have been out all evening and have cleared dozens and dozens of roads. However, now the wind has gotten so high and so strong in most of the county, that they’ve had to shut that service down until it calms down a little bit, but they will be out first thing Thursday morning to continue on with that push team work.

Judd said that if there’s any major events that they need to respond to, they evaluate them one at a time.

“One of our deputies has had damage to their car hit by flying debris, another deputy has had the spotlight ripped off of the car by flying debris.”

Judd emphasized how important it is for the community to work together.

"Floridians know how to deal with hurricanes because we’ve been through them before. Those that don’t have damage help those that do have damage. I’ve already heard stories about people going out and helping their neighbors this evening. So at the end of the day, we’re going to get through this together because that’s what we do as Americans, and that’s what we do as good Floridians, and that’s what we do in Polk County as we help each other.”

Judd said that the sheriff’s office hasn’t received any calls of rescues at this time.