MIAMI (AP) -- Crews used to dealing with hurricanes in Florida have been dispatched to the Northeast to help with the effects of Hurricane Sandy.

Three specialists from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue have joined the Federal Emergency Management Agency's search and rescue managers in Washington.

Florida Power & Light Co. is sending more than 860 employees and approximately 250 trucks to support seven different utilities -- from Virginia to New Jersey -- restore power after Sandy passes through the Mid-Atlantic. Additional FPL crews may also be dispatched to assist utilities in those areas.

FPL officials say they're happy to help other states because Florida utilities usually get a helping hand when hurricanes strike. Crews from Georgia were in the state last week to help FPL restore power after Sandy's rain bands brushed across Florida.