MELBOURNE, Fla. — As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, a Space Coast-based private rescue team is ready to help save lives on Florida’s west coast.

This team specializes in disaster areas using helicopters for hoist rescues and evacuations and boats for water rescues.

After Hurricane Helene, it’s all hands-on deck again in the Operator Solutions command center in Melbourne.

The non-profit just created “Task Force Guardian Angel,” with the goal is to respond to natural disasters like hurricanes to save people with highly technical aircraft and boat rescues.

All the work supplements what government emergency responders are doing.

The team is made up of former para-rescuers who are combat-proven helicopter pilots with thousands of hours of experience.

“We are more like a quick reaction force where we can immediately deploy excellent assets that can go in and affect real help, and help our brothers and sisters across the state, or whatever state is affected,” Brandon Daugherty, CEO of Operator Solutions.

Some of their team even live in the Tampa area.

“This is very close to home for us, and it means everything that we do it and do it right,” said Daugherty.

Putting themselves in danger is worth it, says Daugherty — helping people on the worst day of their life.

“We see a look of hope, and that hope is inspiring to us. It’s part of the fuel that feeds our engines, and that’s what we want to do, provide hope to these people,” he said.

Task Force Guardian Angel received a large donation from Mercury One to do the work in North Carolina.

And a local church gave $5,000 to give the team a start when they head to the Tampa area later this week.