Iowa officials rebuke NBC report claiming DeSantis bragged about sending unneeded help for Davenport collapse
DAVENPORT, Iowa (FLV) – Iowa officials are rebuking an NBC report which claimed that Gov. Ron DeSantis bragged about sending help to a Davenport building collapse that was “no longer needed.”
The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management told Florida’s Voice two personnel members arrived before the last missing person was found.
The request for eight personnel was made on the evening of June 3 and Iowa received an offer from Florida around 3:00 p.m. the next day.
Iowa accepted the offer around 4:00 p.m. and by 11:30 p.m. on June 4, a crew member arrived in Davenport.
By 2:30 a.m. on June 5, the second member of the Florida team had arrived “just hours before the last missing person had been found,” the statement said.
After recovering the last missing person in the early morning hours of June 5, the department notified Florida to “pause further deployment of personnel to Iowa due to the changed circumstances on the ground.”
At the request of the Davenport fire chief and the on-scene incident commander, the two Florida personnel who had already arrived remained on scene in Iowa to directly support incident operations until June 7, providing specialized expertise on next steps as the response and recovery operations moved into its next phase.
“The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is grateful for the rapid response from Florida and the incredible expertise their team provided in the wake of unprecedented circumstances,” the statement said.
On Friday, Florida’s Voice reported DeSantis’ press secretary debunked the notion that Florida sent personnel to assist in recovery efforts after a Davenport, Iowa building collapse when they weren’t needed.
The NBC News report headline stated, “Ron DeSantis bragged about sending help to Iowa — 10 hours after being told it wasn’t needed.”
The assistance from DeSantis came after a six-story apartment building collapsed in Davenport, Iowa. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds initially made the request.
DeSantis tweeted his support for Iowa on June 5, which NBC included in their report:
At the request of Iowa, I've directed @FLSERT and @myFDOT to deploy personnel to assist in the ongoing recovery in Davenport following the recent building collapse.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) June 6, 2023
We are proud to help the people of Iowa. pic.twitter.com/nlq3mn7VpE
However, Jeremy Redfern, DeSantis’ press secretary, grilled NBC author Matt Dixon for lying “by omission” by simply reporting the mission was “canceled” and Florida personnel not being “needed,” suggesting DeSantis sent Florida agents when they weren’t requested anymore.
Redfern posted an email from the Florida Division of Emergency Management noting that Iowa modified the request for assistance, saying that personnel sent from the Sunshine State “currently in Iowa or in the air enroute for operational periods” will still be accepted by Iowa.
NBC omitted the mission clarification, but only reported that the mission was “canceled” and that Florida authorities understood the cancellation had occurred.
“Yet several hours after both those emails, DeSantis sent his tweet boasting of Florida’s role in sending personnel,” he wrote.
DeSantis communications director Jeremy Redfern said “you are wrong” when he was asked whether DeSantis or his staff knew the mission had been canceled when DeSantis sent his tweet.
He did not elaborate and referred NBC News to the Division of Emergency Management.NBC News, Matt Dixon
“Iowa modified the mission,” Redfern noted. “Just because a mission was modified does not mean the entire mission was cancelled. Iowa asked for assistance, and Florida responded.”
