Law enforcement responds to Santa Rosa County to relieve local deputies after Isaias

SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) - Hurricane Isaias left many communities across the panhandle in need, including the homes of first responders. A coalition of law enforcement across the state rallied to give them a break. Sheriff’s deputies have a base camp at what is usually the fairgrounds in Santa Rosa County with everything from helicopters, swamp buggies, boats and more. Santa Rosa County deputies, like many deputies all over the panhandle, left their own homes to patrol, not knowing if their families or property would be safe. “While they’re here and during the storm, their houses were getting damaged. So that’s one thing that really helped us when the sheriff’s departments from across the state responded,” Santa Rosa County Chief Deputy Randy Tifft said. To relieve local deputies, agencies like the Leon County Sheriff’s Office in Tallahassee have moved in, patrolling the roads, but also leading chainsaw crews, literally cutting critical first responder