Hurricane Isaias: Florida braces for Cat 3 storm; Central Florida volunteers prepare to deploy

By late Friday afternoon, emergency crews and residents in the Florida Panhandle were making final preparations as Hurricane Isaias, a dangerous Category 3 storm, barreled toward Northwest Florida.Packing winds over 120 mph and a threat of life-threatening storm surge, Isaias marked the first hurricane of the season. First responders stage for impactResidents in the storm's path had only a few hours left to secure their homes and finalize safety plans before conditions rapidly deteriorated Friday night.In Pensacola, emergency teams were preparing for the worst. Pensacola Police Department PIO Officer Mike Wood said the department was standing by, prepared to help."We're making sure all of our cars are gassed up. Our personnel is in place. They have food. They have a place to sleep," Wood said.According to Wood, officers and call center personnel would be staffed throughout the night. Headquarters had been transformed into a makeshift motel, so employees could remain onsite throughout t