Members of Menlo Park's Task Force en route to Florida

MENLO PARK, Calif. (BCN) - Members of California Task Force 3 based in Menlo Park are enroute to Florida to support operations ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma.

The team is sending 81 of its members to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

The first 30 left at 2 a.m. Friday with 60,000 pounds of search and rescue equipment and another 51 left at 4 a.m. today in buses to catch-up with those that left Friday.

Task Force 3 is sponsored by the Menlo Park Fire Protection District but also includes fire personnel from agencies across the Bay Area and the Northern California region.

The group will travel 2,465 miles to reach the Florida Air Force base.