First Responders Surfside condo collapse

Laker Alumnus One of the Many First Responders Supporting Surfside Condo Collapse

Paul Graham, Rescue Officer with USAR Task Force 6, was one of many heroic individuals who has provided support in the Surfside relief and recovery efforts.

On June 24, 2021, at approximately 1:25 a.m. EDT, Champlain Towers South, a 12-story beachfront condominium in the Miami suburb of Surfside, Florida, United States, partially collapsed. As of July 12, 2021, a total of 94 people are confirmed to have died, with 11 injured and up to 22 unaccounted for, making it one of the deadliest unintentional building collapses in American history.

“The members of the USAR teams work and train very hard for these situations,” said Graham. “It was very taxing physically and emotionally but we will continue relentlessly till all are found.”

Paul attended LSSU from the Spring of 1996 through the Spring of 1997. He is shown in the middle row, second from the left, in the photo above.