Palm Beach County Fire Rescue News

End of Campaign Breakfast for Cancer

Today, February 2, was the end of campaign breakfast for "Making Strides for Breast Cancer" PBSO just barely beat us in the collecting competition ($12,000 vs our $9,250). Despite the fact PBSO beat us again, our total collected funds exceeded $21,000. All for a great cause. Our soon to be pink pumper was on display and John Fischer made a grand entrance playing the bagpipes. It was a fun morning and even more fun for some of us that got to wait on tables.
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D DeLucia
Posted on February 2nd , 2012.

Commercial Structure Fire in Belle Glade

BELLE GLADE - On Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at approximately 2:25 pm, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Battalion 7 responded to a report of a structure fire in the 500 block of SW 7th St in Belle Glade. The crews from both Stations 73 and 74 could see the "loom up" of the billowing cloud of smoke from their firehouses.

The initial crews were met by very heavy fire and smoke, along with a collapsed roof. The building was an abandoned Masonic Lodge. It took the crews about 20 minutes to bring the fire under control. No one was injured and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Investigations Bureau.

Units on scene:
Q73 E73 E74 R73 R731 DC7 CP7 BC7 LA24.

Craig Prusansky, EMT-P, District Captain
Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Battalion 7 A-Shift
Proudly serving "The Glades"

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Craig Prusansky, Capt
Posted on February 1st , 2012.

Media Event held at Station 44

A group of communities in Western Boynton Beach have combined their resources to purchase (5) ruggedized Panasonic hand held tablets that will be representative of the units that will soon be on all PBCFR rescue trucks and engines. (these units are earmarked for the Batt. 4 rescues)We demonstrated, for the first time, the newest technology available in Palm Beach County to provide 911 emergency responders access to patients' complete medical history. The software for these tablets is currently under development internally by our IT department and will soon be field tested. Call information will be able to be downloaded to our servers for report writing as well as for hospitals, the latter for efficient and accurate patient care. A Panasonic H-2 tough book, when loaded with the appropriate medical information software, will change the dynamics of today's medical emergency care.

Note: The communities involved are: Tivoli Lakes, Tivoli Reserve, Palm Isles, Ponte Vecchio and CAB Corp. as 501C3 non-profit group that represents additional communities in Western Boynton Beach.

D DeLucia
Posted on January 30th , 2012.

Habitat for Humanity dedicates another home

Habitat for Humanity home had its dedication ceremony on Friday 1/27. The house, located at 119 N "F" Street now has a happy and proud owner who, himself, put in hours of labor. As Jack Norris, PBCFR Video Manager commented, "members of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue worked on this home. It is always a gratifying feeling to see your hard work pay off at a dedication".
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John Norris/Don DeLucia Photos by Norris
Posted on January 30th , 2012.

Smoke Alarm Installations Completed at the Cresthaven Development

On Saturday January 28th, the Volunteer Battalion completed the last of the smoke alarm installations at the Cresthaven development.
About 190 alarms were installed that day. Another 250 were installed in November, thus keeping the Volunteer Battalion on track for their target of 1000 alarms installed each year. Volunteers from the Area Agency on Aging were also on hand to talk to the residents about fall prevention and other safety topics.
The Volunteers will be installing alarms at other developments beginning in late February.

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Vol. Batt. Chief Kevin Rattey
Posted on January 30th , 2012.

Boca Grove Family Carnival

On behalf of the Boca Grove Family Committee we extend our deepest thank you for PBC Battalion 5's participation in which you helped to make our day extra special. Our community Carnival was a great success and the demos and friendly rescue workers were an absolute fabulous addition to a great day.

We hope to have you here again next year, feel free to mark the date of December 27, 2012 :-) , as your staff's presence was just a super touch to the day's events.

Thank you again and should you offer any community events at the station, like last year's Demo & Expo Day, please let me know and we will be certain to share it with our development.

Thanks again,

Dayna Grober

Social Director

Boca Grove Plantation

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BC David Horowitz
Posted on January 23rd , 2012.

Kitchen Fire in Wellington January 13

Structure Fire approx 1700 hours 01/13/12. White Pine Dr. Wellington. E/R25- E30- E/R27 P29 CP2 DC2 Batt3 One civilian treated for smoke inhalation. Fire contained to kitchen area.

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Arthur Werkle
Posted on January 17th , 2012.

PBCFR Pipes and Drums at Pompano FF Elliott's Funeral

The Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Pipe Band and Honor Guard were part of the funeral for FF Bill Elliott. 40-50 uniformed members also were there to honor FF Elliott. E33 and E31 were in the apparatus procession that was 97 trucks long.

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Jon Ferguson
Posted on January 17th , 2012.

Funeral Announcement for Battalion Chief Larry Manley (ret)

It is with great sadness that we have to announce the passing of former Battalion Chief Larry Manley. Chief Manley suffered a heart attack at his home in Dunnellon, Fl on January 7. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died.

Chief Manley will be cremated and his ashes returned back to Palm Beach County for a memorial service on Saturday January 21 at Palm Beach Memorial Park 3691 Seacrest Bl Lantana, Fl Visitation will be from 11 am until 12 noon.
The memorial service will begin at noon.

Class "A" uniform will be appropriate. Class "B" is acceptable for those who do not have one.

Capt. Bob Eastberg will be acting as the family liaison and can be reached at 561-436-4408 for further information

D DeLucia
Posted on January 13th , 2012.

PBCFR holds a reunion for a rescued driver

A reunion was put together this morning for a 23 year old man who nearly drowned December 11, 2011. Around 4 am that morning an off duty West Palm police officer who was driving home noticed headlights in the canal along B road in Loxahatchee. He called 911 and then found out there was in fact a live victim trapped inside. With the officer's assistance, Station 21 C shift's help and Special Operations 34's equipment, this man's life was saved. Equipment had to be lowered 6 feet down the canal bank to extricate the trapped victim. A dive tank and regulator was given to him to counter the rising water. A lucky man whos family is gratefull to be able to celebrate the New Year with their son. A luncheon was served by station 21's crew afterwards for the family and everyone that All of our local media covered the event.
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D DeLucia
Posted on January 6th , 2012.

Fire Rescue Assists with a Car Seat Installation for Soldier's Son

John Harsch, a Fire Safety Specialist with BOSS was approached by a manager at a local Wal-Mart, who asked about getting assistance with a car seat for his grandson. His son, a single father, is about to be deployed to Afghanistan for a year and the soldier�s 10 month old son is coming to Florida to live with the soldier�s parents for the next year, while he is serving overseas. The manager told Inspector Harsch that his family was on a tight budget and asked if Palm Beach County Fire Rescue had any resources to assist in providing a car seat for the toddler. With a simple phone call to Community Ed Specialist Elyse Weintraub Brown, she was able to provide a new, free child passenger seat from one of our partner organizations. Elyse made a special trip to the manager�s store location to teach him how to install the seat and place the child in the seat properly so his grandson will be riding safely.

Special thanks to John and Elyse for their outstanding customer service and support for our military.

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John Harsch
Posted on January 4th , 2012.

A Book and a Blood Pressure Check

For the past several months PBCFR volunteers have been conducting courtesy blood pressure checks at the Hagen Ranch Library. On the 1st Tuesday of each month, volunteers are at the library from 18:30 - 21:00 and the program has become very popular. Some of the library patrons have become regulars, and we look forward to seeing them every month. The Battalion hopes to expand the program even more in 2012.

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Volunteer Battalion Chief Kevin Rattey
Posted on January 4th , 2012.

Car fire in Belle Glade

On Monday, December 26, 2011, at approximately 2:10 pm, units from Palm Beach County Station 73 responded to a car fire in the 900 block of SW Avenue C in Belle Glade. The crews found an SUV with its engine compartment involved in fire. The crew was able to quickly contain the fire, and there were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Unit on scene: E73, R73.

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Captain C. Prusansky
Posted on December 27th , 2011.

Station 33 adopted a family for Christmas

On Christmas Eve, Station 33 "B" Shift answered a local call for help. A family in financial distress inquired with LT. Dwyane Foster about getting gifts for her autistic grandson Dillon. His father has been out of work for quite some time and has been hospitalized for the past month. The crew from 33 "B" shift, with assistance from a local business, were able to secure toys for Dillon. On the evening of Christmas Eve, Engine and Rescue 33 showed up to Dillon's home. Decked out in Santa hats they delivered a bicycle along with several gifts, much to the delight of Dillon and his family. It was a rewarding experience for all.

Capt. Craig Dube. Driver Jon Ferguson, LT Dwyane Foster, Firemen Juan Cendejas-Garcia, Bidwell Cranage, Justin Goodrich.

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Jon Ferguson
Posted on December 27th , 2011.

Battalion 7 delivers toys to Panda House for Christmas

BELLE GLADE � The crew from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Station 73 decided to do their part this year to make things a little brighter for one of the local community programs. Not too long ago, Lt. Juan Batista was talking with the staff at the PANDA House, a community assistance program center for women located in Belle Glade, to inquire as to their needs for this holiday season.

Many of the women at the PANDA House have young children who live there with them. Two years ago, Lt. Batista coordinated a successful toy drive so that the children who lived there could have gifts for Christmas. This year, he wanted to do the same.

Under the direction of Lt. Batista and Battalion Chief Chuck Lupo, the firefighters from Station 73 along with the Command Staff from Battalion 7 (which is the Battalion for Belle Glade and the surrounding area) and the residents from the Belle Isles community in suburban Lake Worth made Christmas gift donations as well as donations of some needed supplies to go to the PANDA House. As a result, 14 women and their children are going to have a much better Christmas this year.

The toys and supplies were delivered 3 days before Christmas, on December 22. While everything was being delivered, the mothers and their children were given a tour of the fire trucks. The residents and staff at the PANDA House were very appreciative of the donations provided to them.

The PANDA residential treatment program focuses on women struggling with drugs or alcohol issues, teaching coping and life skills and helping reintegrate them back into the community. This program provides ongoing chemical abuse or dependency treatment in a supportive and structured living environment. The PANDA House is part of the Oakwood Center of the Palm Beaches.

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Story by Capt. Craig Prusansky/Photos by B/C Lupo and Capt.Craig Prusansky
Posted on December 27th , 2011.

Firefighters deliver Santa and presents to St. Mary's Children's Hospital

On Friday December 23, the Palm Beach County FOOLS did their 7th annual visit to St. Mary's Children's Hospital delivering a huge quantity of toys to a full house of sick children (70). The Fraternal Order of Leatherheads (FOOLS) group consisted of firefighters primarily from PBCFR and from other area departments. Santa had additional helpers who were wives and children of the firefighters. Approximately 20 children from the hospital were permitted to greet Santa at the entrance of the facility. From there the group went through three floors delivering toys and included the pediatric intensive care unit and the pediatric emergency room. If Santa saw a child, that child was left with a toy. It was a very emotional event and well covered by out local media.
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D DeLucia
Posted on December 27th , 2011.

Santa arrived early in the Glades

Santa arrived early to the Glades. He arrived in fashion showing up to Glades Day School in Quint 73. Santa greeted the kids with lights flashing and siren blaring. The kids were thrilled to see Santa as he handed out candy to all of the elementary students. Santa stayed around to take pictures with the all the classes.

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B/C Chuck Lupo
Posted on December 22nd , 2011.

White powder call outside Wellington Regional Hospital

On Sunday 12/18 at approximately 0900 at Wellington Regional, an employee returned to her vehicle after an overnight shift to find her tires slashed and white powder spread over the vehicle. After analysis by Special Ops the powder was found to be harmless.

Units on scene:
E30 R27 DC9 CP9 E34 R34 SO34

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Delucia/Werkle
Posted on December 21st , 2011.

Fire Rescue helps grant a woman's wish

Today Palm Beach County Fire Rescue had the honor of working with a national organization, Jerry Bloom's Wish of a Lifetime (seniorwish.org), and fullfilled the wish of an 87 year old resident of the Classic of West Palm Beach. Her wish.... a ride on a fire engine. Mrs. Beverly Bennis, a former Eastern Airlines flight attendant, grew up as a little girl in the 30's in a small town in Stow, Ohio. Her father established the town's first volunteer fire department. She vividly remembers riding on an engine with Santa during Christmas holiday parades. Today, Engine 23 delivered Santa to the residence where I escorted Mrs. Bennins from the lobby, past two lines of firefighters, to a waiting Santa at the Engine. Great media coverage of a great story that made all three networks and the Post. From the Senior residence, we took her to two daycare centers where she, dressed as Mrs. Claus, and Santa, gave out candy canes to the kids. Happy Holidays to all.
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Don DeLucia
Posted on December 21st , 2011.

Toys for Tots Collection Project

Various stations and personnel are pictured assisting with the major process of picking up hundreds of toys and delivering to the Marine receiving point at the Fairgrounds. Captain Anthony Acosta acted as liaison between the Marine Corps and PBCFR again this year.
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Jack Norris
Posted on December 19th , 2011.

Station 20 Hosts an Adopted Family for Christmas

On Saturday December 17, Station 20 put smiles on the faces of Alvaro and Jeremy Nolasko. Alvaro had been a trauma patient of Station 20 A shift when he fell 30 feet from a tree he was trimming. Being out of work and looking forward to a bleak Christmas, Station 20 along with the other Wellington stations collected funds to purchase food and other gift certificates. They also donated a Lark scooter to help with Alvaro's mobility and young Jeremy receved a bicycle and a laptop to help with school work. All of the local TV networks covered the story and the Palm Beach Post sent a reporter and photographer. Good holiday PR.
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Don D
Posted on December 19th , 2011.

Accident on Indiantown Road

Photo from a traffic accident that occurred on Indiantown west of the Publix earlier today (12/15). A Honda Accord ran into the back of a Heavy Front end loader.
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DeLucia/Renna
Posted on December 15th , 2011.

FIre severly damages Wellington home

On Wednesday December 14 at around 11 am, units responded to a fire at 12024 Old Country Road in Wellington. Flames were seen coming from a rear bedroom and smoke was coming from most of the openings in the home. FIre crews found the source of the fire in the back bedroom. It was intense enough to burn through the roof and damage a good portion of the interior of the home. There were no injuries. A dog was rescued and the crews did a great job getting the fire out while saving a good portion of the structure. Investigators determined the origin of the fire to be an unattended incense candle and was accidental.
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DOn DeLucia/Photos by investigator Summers
Posted on December 15th , 2011.

PBCFR Personnel Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity - Lake Worth build

On Saturday December 10, members of PBCFR turned out once again to combat substandard housing in our community by volunteering with Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County. The home they worked on was in the City of Lake Worth.

This is the third team build conducted in this area by our department's personnel over the past 3 months. The mission on this build was to install the hardy plank siding on the south wall of the 3 bedroom, two bath home on S E street.

The team worked most of the day taking only for a short lunch break until the task was finally finished around 2:00 pm. The narrow space between the wall and the neighbor's home made it challenging to move materials in and out of the area while others were installing the siding.

The hard work paid off though when the team took a look at their accomplishment at the end of the day. "Performing finish work is a bit more challenging but the payoff is greater as well", noted Pete Murphy who joined the team mid morning after getting off shift.

By Deputy Chief James St. Pierre

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Deputy Chief James St. Pierre
Posted on December 14th , 2011.

PBCFR Pipes and Drums attend Miami Dade FR Funeral

PBCFR's Pipes and Drums were invited to play at the funeral of Miami Dade Lt. Michael Falco on December 13 in Stuart. Lt. Falco had been assigned to station #32 in North Miami Beach. A memorial fund has been established in his name at Wells Fargo Bank in Stuart. Our thought and prayers to his family.
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D/O Jon Ferguson
Posted on December 14th , 2011.

Wreaths Across America Event held at the VA Cemetary

On Saturday, Dec 10, members of the pipes and drums and Engine 33 were at the South Florida National Cemetery to participate in Wreaths Across America. 1600 holiday wreaths were layed on the graves of the fallen. In 2010, Wreaths Across America and the national network of volunteers laid over 220,000 memorial wreaths at 545 locations in the United States and beyond.

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Jon Ferguson
Posted on December 12th , 2011.

Jimmy Hotchkiss gets the Ax

Body: The crew of station #37 "B" held a farewell dinner for PM Jimmy Hotchkiss on Dec. 9th. Jimmy's last shift was Dec. 12th. Jimmy is leaving Fire-Rescue to pursue academic interests in Astrophysics among other things! He begins a full course-load beginning in January 2012. It was nice to have Jimmy's dad (Jim) and his fiance' Maria Fadiman attend. DVP Lt. Peter Murphy presented Jimmy with the ax from the Local. Members of his crew and the Battalion also presented him with some "funding" that all college students require. He also received a personalized pocket protector - a requisite for all rocket scientists! PM Hotchkiss developed an impressive work record and reputation during his 13 year tenure with P.B.C.F.R. We will certainly miss him and his contribution to our efforts to provide the best service to our community! Jimmy, we know you'll be successful at whatever you do!

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Sam Haubert, DC3 B-Shift
Posted on December 12th , 2011.

Fire in a 30 unit apartment building in Belle Glade

Crews from battalion 7 arrived on a two story apartment fire with occupants evacuating the building by every means. There were reports
that people were jumping from the windows and front porch. On arrival there was heavy black smoke showing from the front door, with
smoke and flames on side �D� . Crews were faced with a number of priorities on arrival and were able to evacuate the fire building and
exposure without anyone getting injured. There are 15 one room apartments on each floor and all were dead bolted shut. Crews had to
force entry into 29 units. The fire apartment door was left open when the occupants evacuated. The fire was mainly held to the room of origin,
with some extension into the apartment above. There was heavy smoke damage to the first floor apartments with limited smoke damage
to the second floor. Fire Rescue, PBSO, Red Cross, City officials and the building owner assisted with the relocation of over 60 people.

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Battalion Chief Lupo
Posted on December 12th , 2011.

PBCFR Puts on a South County Emergency Services Seminar

On Wednesday December 7, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue along with the Alliance of Delray Residential Associations, presented an Emergency Services Seminar. People from numerous communities in Western Delray Beach attended and were treated to a number of sites and sounds. Emergencey equipment and trucks were on display inside and outside the South County Civic Center. A number of demonstrations were put on by Fire Rescue including a crew putting out a fire on stage, a simulated cardiac arrest, a presentation about the CAT team, and others. It was well attended and well received.
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Don DeLucia
Posted on December 8th , 2011.

Battalion 4 talks to young students

During a recent English/Spanish Pub-Ed presentation at Hagen Road Elementary personnel from stations 41 and 47 along with Elyse Brown provided students with an up close look at Firefighting as a profession!
(left to right, FF/PM Ryan Gornall and D/O Jason Cohen Q-47).

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Anthony Tozzi
Posted on December 7th , 2011.

Captain Dennis Peek Retires

For the first time ever, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue held a formal retirement ceremony for one of its Captains, Dennis Peek. Dennis has been a member of the Fire Rescue family for 31+ years. During that time he served on the Trauma Hawk as a flight medic, worked as a training officer instructing new recruits then became a shift station officer at station 33. Captain Peek was also a Sgt. Major in the Army Special Forces. News media was on hand to cover today's event. We all wish Dennis good health and good times in retirement. There are plans to make this type of ceremony an option for outgoing department officers.

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Don DeLucia
Posted on December 1st , 2011.

Two Fire Rescue Employees Receive Golden Palm Award

Two Palm Beach County Fire Rescue employees were some of the recipients of this year's Golden Palm Awards. Bonnie Stein, our Fiscal Analyst III, received recognition for saving the Department (and the County) thousands of dollars this past year. She and her department determined a vendor had billed us incorrectly and some programs were streamlined saving valuable hours of work. Anna Stewart, the Drowning Prevention Coalition Manager, was recognized for the many innovative programs that were developed to educate the citizens of Palm Beach County on how to prevent drowning. She also has partnered with the Volunteer Division to promote water safety. Congratulations to both for their outstanding work.

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Don DeLucia
Posted on November 29th , 2011.

Carbon monoxide detectors save lives

When you find out two families had a carbon monoxide incident within two week of one another and you also find out they both were saved by carbon monoxide alarms, that's a story you want to get out to the public. All three local television stations and the Palm Beach Post interviewed the two families who stated they were grateful to be alive thanks to their CO detectors (purchased after neighbors died from carbon monoxide poisoning). Both incidents were caused by cars left running in the garage, one of which had a push button ignition.

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Don DeLucia
Posted on November 29th , 2011.

New Promotions

Chief Jerauld recently presided over a promotional ceremony that was well attended by friends and families of our new officers. The group consisted of:

District Captain Jody Marlow
Capt. Steve Collins
Capt. Chris Devito
Capt. Eric Feierabend
Capt. Darla Leal
Staff Capt. Patrick Thume
Lt. Chris Berry
Lt. John Cruise
Lt. Michael Garcia
Lt. Chris Gass
Lt. Brian Iannitti
Lt. Michael Okrent
Lt. David Patino
Lt. Juan Saavedra
Lt. Adam Taft

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Don DeLucia
Posted on November 29th , 2011.

Station 35 Hepls a Family for Thanksgiving

Gentlemen please thank all members of your crews for their generous donation and contribution for the Davis family at 6355 Seminole circle. This family was truly a family in need and expressed their sincere appreciation for the kindness and compassion shown by crews at Station 35. Special recognition to RLT Hodges for organizing and spear heading this effort. The family was presented a full turkey dinner with all the fixings and drinks as well as an additional gift card for groceries in the future. Thanks to RLT Vomero the kids also recieved some small gifts as well,hula hoops , bouncing balls ,hair accessories etc.

We are currently exploring options to get them some additional social services help.

Thanks again ,great team effort by all

Happy Holidays
Captain Longencker
PBCFR Station 35 A shift

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Capt. Longencker/RLT Duane Hodges
Posted on November 28th , 2011.

Camp Good Grief

On the weekend of November 11th - 13th, PBCFR members Drew Reyburn, Ken Tamboe, Aaron Turner, & Ada Vought volunteered their weekend to be camp counselors at Camp Good Grief. Camp Good Grief is a bereavement camp for kids, ages 5 - 15. The camp is funded by Hospice by the Sea, Inc. Throughout the weekend the kids participate in various activities to help them through their grief process. Some of these therapeutic activities include music therapy, art therapy, and pet therapy. As camp counselors, we were assigned a group of kids for the weekend. Part of our duties included accompanying the kids to the various activities, meals, and spending fun time with them in the game room. The children that attend this camp have lost loved ones such as parents, siblings, grandparents, and care givers.
This is the second time that our firefighter brothers and sisters have participated in this camp. It is not only a great opportunity for us to give back, but it is a very rewarding experience as well. On the first night, the kids and volunteers were entertained by a magician and a DJ. During the magic show, Ken Tamboe and Aaron Turner were called up on stage to do a skit with a "crazy chicken". There was some really bad acting going on up there�Crying about a crazy chicken, Yelling about a crazy chicken, and dancing with a crazy rubber chicken. Everyone was laughing hysterically�except Ken and Aaron. Then Drew Reyburn was called up on stage to do a skit where he had to hold a "very heavy" invisible rock. Then he threw it�weird! All silliness aside, the weekend that we spend with these kids really makes an impact on them.
If you are interested in volunteering for the next camp, it will be taking place on March 30th, 31st, & April 1st. For those of you that have expressed an interest in volunteering in the past, but were not able to attend the previous camps, please get back with me as soon as possible so I can get you signed up. Remember, there are two background checks that you have to go through, and it takes a little bit of time for them to clear. This upcoming camp I would really like to have a stronger turnout of male volunteers to represent PBCFR. This camp usually seems to have a shortage of male volunteers, this usually means the boys cabins have a lot larger groups, which leads to less individual attention to the children. It's only for two nights. We get to camp on Friday about 3pm and leave on Sunday about 11am. Most of the work is done on Saturday, so it's really like only volunteering for one day!
Aaron Turner
aturner@pbcgov.org
561.301.7309

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Aaron Turner
Posted on November 28th , 2011.

Station 24 receives their prize

Station 24 recently won the"Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" fund collecting competition and their price for winning was a full breakfast cooked at the station. Two representatives from the PBCFR Benevolent Fund, John Sluth and Jack Norris, cooked breakfast for C Shift as promised. The menu included scrambled eggs and ham, sausage, muffins and OJ. The cooking team did an outstanding job and everyone started their day with a full stomach. Special thanks went to Richard Cioffoletti who spearheaded the donation collecting which amounted to over $700.

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D DeLucia
Posted on November 22nd , 2011.

Ed Kranski breaks another record

This past Saturday, November 19th, I competed in the annual "Fight For Air Stair Climb" in dowtown West Palm Beach. The race started on the ground floor of The Phillips Point West Tower and finished on the top floor 444 steps later. It was put on by The American Lung Association, a cause near and dear to me since my aunt passed away from lung cancer 3 years ago and also personal to many of us firefighters with the very recent passing of DO Jim Howard.

Individuals or teams are able to enter this event and raise money for the cause by having donations pledged in their names. You are able to wear street clothes or enter in a separate division in full turn out gear with your SCBA! As you can probably imagine, I chose to race in full gear with my SCBA! I ended up setting a new record of 2:20, which was 8 seconds faster than my winning time last year and over a minute faster than 2nd place 3:23. It is incredibly painful to run these stairs at this rate, but it's nothing compared to what those that suffer from lung disease have to go through.
This event is a great way to show support for victims of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. I was the only competitor from our department. Next November, I will make sure that the word is spread as this event comes around and hopefully gather some more competitors. I hope you can all come out and support this cause! I have attached a link with some more information about the event as well as the winning results.

Captain Ed Kranski

For details of how all the participants placed, go to: http://www.fleetfeetorlando.com/races/fight-for-air-palm-beach/2011/result_2011.html

Ed Kranski
Posted on November 21st , 2011.

South Bay Veteran's Day Parade

Crews from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Station 74 participated in this year's Veteran's Day Parade held in the City of South Bay. In addition to leading the parade, the crews handed out fire safety items to the parade onlookers.

They were in the spare engine, hence the "73B" on the side.

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Story and photos submitted by District Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on November 21st , 2011.

Acreage Fire Festival Pictures

Saturday November 5 was the date of the first annual Acreage Fire Festival. Numerous events took place including an extrication demo, fire sprinkler demo, and a live fire demo. Many pieces of apparatus were on display for the public including the Health Care District's Trauma Hawk helicopter. Hundreds of hot dogs and hamburgers were given out along with refreshments and an estimated 2000+ visitors appeared to have a great time. The public relations was invaluable. This joint effort between PBCFR and Local 2928 was a huge success and without question, worth repeating.

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Photos supplied by Tara Cardoso
Posted on November 21st , 2011.

Honor Guard

This past Saturday many PBCFR firefighters joined their brothers and sisters from Tequesta Fire Rescue to raise money for Honor Flight. The Honor Flight Program provides air and ground transportation to Washington DC for WWII veterans to visit the WWII memorial.

The event was the 1st annual Tequesta Fire Rescue Chili cook off. The cook off featured 10 teams from across South Florida who cooked up 5 gallons of chili and paid a 100.00 entry fee for an opportunity to see who makes the best chili. Members of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue supported 2 entires.

First prize was 500.00 and more importantly a trophy and bragging rights for one year.
The judges rated Pratt & Whitney fire rescue as the best. The team donated their 500.00 purse back to Honor flight but kept the trophy and were already bragging about next year's competition.

Nevertheless everyone involved felt a sense of accomplishment and came away with a good feeling about the event. After all they were there to give support to the men and women who made great sacrifices so long ago to provide us with all the freedoms we enjoy today. Those WWII veterans who have the opportunity to see the memorial are grateful to those people who make the trips possible - people like our firefighters.

Members from Palm Beach County who participated in the cook off -
Larry Willhite, Bob Smallacombe, Tammy Madison, John Harsch and Jack Norris.

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Story and photos submitted by Jack Norris
Posted on November 21st , 2011.

WWII Vets Return from Washington D.C.

Eighty Four veterans of World War Two spent a day (November 5) with eighty three firefighters in Washington, D.C. as part of the Honor Flight project. They visited the WWII Memorial and the Iwo Jima Memorial as part of their tour. Seventeen firefighters were from PBCFR. Over $60,000 was raised by Martin County FIre Rescue to cover the cost of the vet's tickets and expenses. Firefighter "guardians" covered their own expenses. Pictures here show the welcome home reception they received at PBIA Saturday evening.
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Story and photos submitted by Capt. Don Delucia, PIO
Posted on November 9th , 2011.

Honor Flight Story Presented to the Media

A well attended media event was held today at Fire Rescue Headquarters as a precursor to an Honor Flight trip that is occurring this coming weekend (Nov 5). Eighty Four veterans and 83 guardians (escorts) who are all firefighters will be going to Washington D.C. to visit the WWII Memorial as well as the Iwo Jima memorial. Nine of these vets including Chief Jerauld's father attended today's event as well as their firefighter guardians. Of the 83 guardians flying up with the vets, all are firefighters. Seventeen of them work for PBCFR. Martin County Fire held a boot drive and raised over $60,000 to fund the trip. Besides PBCFR firefighters, others are coming from Palm Beach Fire, Miami-Dade County Fire, Stuart Fire, Tequesta Fire and Martin County Fire. All three television networks and the Palm Beach Post attended the event. Good PR for all firefighters and a good honor recognition for our vets.
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Story and photos submitted by Capt. Don Delucia, PIO
Posted on November 2nd , 2011.

Habitat for Humanity Build

The overnight showers ended just in time for the workday to start. Members of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue showed up at the soggy jobsite to install siding on a house being built by Habitat for Humanity. This team build was the second trip back to the address on 119 N F street where many of the same people showed up to put the roof on the 4 bedroom home just a few weeks ago.

"It's good to come back to see what's been done since we were here last." noted Art Barry who spent his Saturday helping to provide affordable to area residents.

The on duty engine crew from station 91 brought out breakfast to the volunteers. They also stayed for awhile to help layout the measurements for the hardy panel siding being put up which went very fast. "The work went so fast because we were working on the ground." Juan Bailey. "And the rain stayed away for most of the day too, that really helped us accomplish our goals." He added.

Habitat for Humanity is building several homes in Lake Worth. No experience is needed to help out just a willingness to help. Call 433 3351 to find out about the many ways you can get involved.

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Story and photos submitted by Jack Norris
Posted on November 2nd , 2011.

PBCFR Airport Medic Receives Recognition

Lamar McThay, FF/PM Battalion 8, received recognition from the City of Deerfield Beach for rendering aid to a 13 yr old girl who was attacked by a pit bull. He and four others were involved is rescuing the young girl from the attack and caring for her until City firefighters and medics arrived. The Sun-Sentinel article tells the story.
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Posted on November 2nd , 2011.

The 2011 "Memorial Trilogy" Completed

PBCFR Honor Guard and Pipe & Drum were in Emmitsburg Maryland on October 16th for the 30th annual National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service to pay tribute to the 72 firefighters killed in the line of duty in 2010. An additional 17 firefighters who died in previous years were also honored.

The number of LODDs differs from that of the IAFF Memorial, due to the criteria used by The United States Fire Administration to determine what is considered line-of-duty. Additionally, the USFA includes volunteer firefighters considering that nearly 80 percent of fire departments in the US are volunteer.

The cooperative effort between Local 2928 and PBCFR Administration provided the opportunity for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue to be represented at the three primary memorial services that take place in September and October each year. It is important to do this because we made a collective promise to "Never Forget".

The "Memorial Trilogy" - IAFF Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Colorado Springs, Co., Florida Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Ocala, Fl., and the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Emmitsburg, Md.
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Submitted by Captain Steen Eriksson
Posted on November 2nd , 2011.

West Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Breakfast

The West Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce held its annual awards breakfast on October 20 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. This year, they honored a West Palm Beach Fire Lieutenant for his outstanding service to his department and community and they also honored PBCFR Station 23 for their contributions to the communities they serve. Commissioners Vanna and Burdick praised Chief Jerauld and all the crew members from St. 23 for being this year's award recipients. Guest speaker at the breakfast was former Florida Senator George LeMieux. Representatives were also there from the West Palm Beach Century Village Community. After the breakfast, the on-duty crews put on an extrication demo in the Convention Center parking lot. Channel 12 and Channel 5 covered the event.
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Story and photos submitted by Capt. Don Delucia, PIO
Posted on October 25th , 2011.

Read for the Record

On October 6. 2011, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Battalion 7 ("The Glades" -- covering the cities of Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay, and the surrounding unincorporated areas) participated in a nationwide reading campaign titled "Read for the Record." These firefighters joined over two million people nationwide as well as other County fire stations in reading the book "Llama llama red pajama" by Anna Dewdney to local school children at several locations throughout the Battalion.

The crews also treated the children to a display of their apparatus and firefighting equipment.

The Read for the Record campaign was started to demand that all children receive the quality early education they deserve.

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Story by District Captain Craig Prusansky; Photos by District Chief Gary Burroughs and District Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on October 20th , 2011.

Station 45/C Extrication Demo

On Wednesday October 5, 2011, crews from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Battalion 4 "C" shift performed an extrication demo in front of hundreds of spectators including teenagers, teachers, administration and other guests at American Heritage School in Delray Beach. The school Home Coming Night was around the corner and that was a perfect time to teach teenagers about the consequences of drinking and driving. The demo involved a 2 car motor vehicle accident by a teenager who was driving under the influence and t-boned another car carrying 4 teenagers. There was a total of 7 patients injured. The passengers sustained severe injuries from the accident and one was a simulated ejection that unfortunately died of their injuries. The cars were donated by a local junk yard and were on display in the middle of the school football field. Students were selected to participate as patients and were painted with bruises and fake blood. District Chief Richard Ellis narrated the incident from start to finish while the crews performed their arrival, size-up, rapid triage, extrication, quick immobilization of patients and simulating transport. A radio TAC channel was broad casted over the stadium speakers to allow the spectators to hear radio transmissions from the fire rescue crews. The spectators were given a surprise with the arrival of the Trauma Hawk that landed on the field to transport patients. When the demo was complete, the field was opened up to allow for the spectators to view the fire department equipment, apparatus, medical gear and a up close tour of the Trauma Hawk. The most common response from many teenagers about the demo was that it was an "eye opener" for them.

Thank you to BC Blake, DC Ellis, CP4 J. Teems, Captain Borroto, Capt Delucia, LZ crew E44, Trauma Hawk flight crew and the Health Care District Staff for supporting this event. A special thanks to Station 45/C Captain Chris Hoch and your crew for the hard work, professionalism, and dedication you demonstrated.
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Story and photos by Lt. Tony Faso
Posted on October 20th , 2011.

Family Fun Day at Roger Dean Stadium

Rescue 16 attended Family Fun Day a Roger Dean stadium.

Crew:
Lt Carlson
PM Morrow
PM Simpson

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Posted on October 17th , 2011.

Florida Firefighter Memorial-Ocala

On Friday, October 7, 2011, the Florida Fallen Firefighter Memorial took place on the campus of the Florida State Fire College in Ocala. Florida CFO Jeff Atwater was the keynote speaker.

Members of PBCFR Honor Guard and Pipes and Drum Corps were there to honor and show respect to those who have died in the line of duty. There were no LODD in the 2010 calendar year, but seven firefighters from previous years were memorialized.

An important note to mention is that the services of PBCFR's Video Manager Jack Norris were requested by the Florida State Fire College to record and produce the official video of the ceremony.
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Story submitted by Captain Steen Eriksson
Posted on October 17th , 2011.

American Flag Donated to Fire Rescue

An American flag was recently donated to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue by the Village of Wellington. The flag was delivered by Vice-Mayor Matt Willhite and Special Events Coordinator, Nichole Evangelista of Wellington. This flag was one of four that were draped over the exterior column of the World Trade Center steel that was transported to the Village of Wellington from New York City. The steel is the focal piece of Wellington's Patriot Memorial. The memorial is a tribute to the all the lives lost on 9/11. Chief Steve Jerauld is currently making arrangements to put the flag on display at Fire Rescue Headquarters.
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Story and photos submitted by Capt. Don Delucia, PIO
Posted on October 14th , 2011.

Literacy Day

A letter and photos from Elizabeth Lauren:

We had a terrific Literacy Day Thursday! We would like to thank Firefighters from station 55 for coming out to read Llama Llama Red Pajama to our classrooms. We enjoyed seeing the staff and children dressed in red or in their pj�s, it was so much fun! Literacy day was a huge success and we cannot wait until next year!

Please enjoy the photos below and have a great week-

Liz

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Posted on October 14th , 2011.

PBCFR Volunteers Receive Safe Boating Grant

This past summer, the PBCFR Volunteer Battalion received a grant from the National Safe Boating Council to promote safe boating throughout the County. The funds were used to purchase "Wear It" lifejacket stickers, banners and whistles. The stickers and whistles were given out at no charge to boaters throughout the County all summer long.

In addition, funds were used to purchase 70 child and youth size lifejackets. The lifejackets were distributed by the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Palm Beach County to the Marine Industry Education Foundation, Good News Fishing Ministry, Cub Scout Pack #116 and the Jupiter Police Marine Unit.

To further emphasize the need to wear a lifejacket, the volunteer safety boat (Marine 970) was wrapped with the "Wear It" logo and became a floating billboard for safety on the ICW and was seen by thousands over the summer. The "Wear It" campaign will continue next summer and we hope to have an even bigger campaign for May 2012.

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Story and photos submitted by Kevin Rattey
Posted on October 14th , 2011.

Walk to School Day

Crews from station 73 participated in the 7th Bi-annual "Walk to School Day" at Gove Elementary. The event took place on October 5th, from 7:20 to 7:55 a.m. The event was open to the entire student body, their families and community. The emphasis was on encouraging families to walk together for wellness, conservation of our environment.

The Wellness Student Council and participants were an encouragement to our parents, children and community on the importance of a proper regiment of exercise, practicing safety and making the right environmental and nutritional choices. Students were encouraged to dream and dress in a career choice.

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Story and photos submitted by Chuck Lupo
Posted on October 7th , 2011.

PBCFR Represented in New York City for 10th Anniversary of 9/11

Approximately 15 members from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue travelled to New York City for the 10th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks. They joined thousands of other firefighters, police officers, EMT's, and members of the Armed Services from all around the world. There were several remembrance services and activities that our personnel took part in. On Saturday, September 10, 2011, PBCFR was represented in a 9/11 remembrance parade made up mostely of military, police, and fire services. The parade marched through Midtown Manhattan, bagpipes playing along the way. On the evening of September 10th, our very own Capt. John Fischer was invited to play the bagpipes on FDNY fire boat #2 as the boat escorted the Brotherhood Ride Bicycle Team from Staten Island to Manhattan. The bicycle team is made up of approximately 35-40 firefighters who rode their bicycles from Florida to New York. Capt. Fischer led a small bagpipe group in the song Amazing Grace when the fire boat docked at Pier 66 in Manhattan.

On Sunday September 11, 2011 all the members from PBCFR attended a 9/11 remembrance service at River Side Park in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The service, led by ranking members of FDNY, focused on the 343 firefighters that perished at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001. Each and every lost member of FDNY was remembered with their name and rank being read aloud followed by a single bell chime. This service was attended by thousands of firefighters, police officers, EMS workers, and civilians. The solemn service lasted 2 hours and brought many to tears.

During the trip, many members took time to visit the Ground Zero site, the new 9/11 Memorial site, and St. Pauls Chapel. On the evening of September 11th the "Tribute in Lights" was turned on. The "Tribute in Lights" are two beams of light that shine into the night sky taking the place of the Twin Towers in the Manhattan skyline. The lights can be seen from all over the city and surrounding areas. The "Tribute in Lights" is only displayed on the night of September 11th each year and it is truly a breath taking site to see in person.
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Story and photos submitted by FF/PM Troy Dichard
Posted on September 30th , 2011.

2011 IAFF Memorial

Members of the Honor Guard and Pipe and Drum Corps represented Palm Beach County Fire Rescue at the 2011 IAFF Fallen Firefighter Memorial on September 17 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

This year, which was the 25th anniversary of the Memorial, the names of 86 firefighters who died in the line of duty, were added to the black granite wall at the Memorial Park. Fifteen of those were from previous years.

As in past years, the show of respect for the Fallen and their families was tremendous, with 800+ Honor Guard and 400+ Pipes and Drums from across the United States and Canada.

Fortunately, we did not have a LODD to be memorialized this year, but we were there to honor the memory of our PBCFR Fallen whose names are etched in the wall forever.

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Story submitted by Captain Steen Eriksson
Posted on September 29th , 2011.

IAFF Memorial

Hundreds of family members and nearly 900 members of IAFF Honor Guards and Pipe and Drum corps assembled September 17 for the annual memorial service. The service began with the rolling thunder of more than 400 riders with the IAFF Motorcycle Group (IAFF-MG) and the Wind and Fire Motorcycle Club joining a procession of more than 50 fire apparatus. President Schaitberger greeted them all as they proceeded past the memorial site.

At this year's memorial service, the IAFF will add the names of 87 fire fighters from the United States and Canada who died in the line of duty over the past year to the Wall of Honor.

With the addition this year of the names of 87 fire fighters, the Wall of Honor will bear the names of 2,497 fallen fire fighters who have died in the line of duty since 1976.

The IAFF is now completing plans to add the names of 2,742 members who died in the line of duty between 1918 (the founding date of this union) and 1975.

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Story and photos submitted by D/O Jon Ferguson
Posted on September 29th , 2011.

Palm Beach Aggregates Call

On August 10th at about 4 PM R20 and E20 were dispatched to a construction accident at Palm Beach Aggregates. R20 arrived to find a man working on top of the rock crushing machine replacing a large metal grate that had fallen into the rock crushing hopper. The grate had fallen in behind him and was wedged in place. The rock crusher is a system of hoppers, crushers, and strainers. Luckily It was not running during the accident. The patient was on a 75 degree conveyor belt at the bottom of the uppermost hopped and had fallen and slid some distance before being caught by another employee through an access port. R20 assisted holding the patient and it kept him from falling down the belt into the next hopper. When E20 arrived, they established command and evaluated the situation. E20 and R20 were able to attach a rope from above, position a backboard below with assistance from District Captain 2, and lower the patient onto the backboard for extrication through another access port below. Special operations and Platform 29 arrived and were able to move the patient up a conveyor belt using a mechanical advantage system into a position to be picked off by the platform truck and lowered to the ground. R20 then resumed patient care and transported the patient to the trauma hawk. This was a low frequency high risk situation, one of the most difficult we encounter, but in spite of the difficulty the patient was extricated, treated, and transported in a timely manner with no FF injuries. Kudos to the crews involved.

No department photos available. Photos/additional information may be available via local news articles:

(The above links require internet access and may not work from all department computers.)

Story submitted by Jim Clark
Posted on August 22nd , 2011.

Pahokee Fishing Event

On August 9, 2011, crews from Battalion 7; Engine 72 C ( CO Osullivan, DO Bush, PM Fortune), T72 C (DO McCarroll), DC7(Gribble on an exchange), BC7 , DC Burroughs and Lt Slonaker assisted in the Pahokee Vice Mayor Fishing tournament that allowed over 100 children from Pahokee to fish from the Pahokee marina, some for the first time. Everyone of the kids had the chance to catch fish and were assisted by battalion 7 crew members. This was a very successful event for the city of Pahokee and it was a pleasure being part of it, we look forward to being a part of this event in the future.
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Story and photos submitted by Chuck Lupo
Posted on August 15th , 2011.

Pahokee Book Bag Bash

On Saturday, August 6, 2011, crews from station 72 C, DC7 , Captain 7, BC7 and the following off duty personnel (DC Steven Rice, DC Gary Burroughs, District Capt. Ken Sehres, and Capt Edwards) all cooked over 2000 hamburgers and hot dogs for those attending the city of Pahokee Book Bag Bash, in which kids from the community were given book bags and school supplies for the upcoming school year. In addition, the city raffled off several bikes for the kids attending. This event was a huge success and PBCFR involvement was extremely appreciated by the city council and citizens in attendance.
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Story and photos submitted by Chuck Lupo
Posted on August 15th , 2011.

Vehicle Accident at Pike and Belvedere Roads

On Wednesday evening, July 27th 2011, at approximately 6:45pm, Engine and Rescue 34 were dispatched to a traffic accident in the vicinity of Pike and Belvedere Roads. While enroute, the call type was upgraded due to information that occupants were trapped. Special Operations 34, Platform 29, Rescue 29, DC9, DC10, EMS9, BC9, and Trauma Hawk were added to the assignment. Upon arrival, a vehicle was found wrapped against a concrete power pole with a female occupant heavily entrapped. Special Ops crews freed the victim using multiple power tools. The victim was transported by Rescue 29 to the P.B.C. Water Treatment facility at Jog and Belvedere Road's where the City of West Palm Beach Engine 7 secured a landing zone for Trauma Hawk. The patient was flown to St. Mary's Trauma Center.
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Story and photos submitted by Arthur Werkle
Posted on August 1st , 2011.

Aircraft Accident Rescue

A light aircraft landed in Lake Okeechobee yesterday after experiencing engine problems. An instructor and student pilot took off from Pahokee airport around lunchtime and started having engine issues. They attempted to turn around and head back to the airport but couldn't make it. The plane flipped over on contact with the water. Both individuals were able to get out of the plane and stay with the aircraft until our PBCFR airboat brought them to shore. Only one person had minor injuries. Hugo Matos operated the airboat.
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Story and photos submitted by Battalion Chief Chuck Lupo
Posted on August 1st , 2011.

Captain George Springthorpe Receives Invitation

Capt. George Springthorpe recently received an invitation to commencement at University of South Florida from Miss Marie Joy Cimirro who is graduating with a Bachelor's degree in psychology. A nicely written note inside written by Marie's mom read: "George - this is who you delivered on 12/14/88." George related the story of the old Royal Palm days and of the call that he EMT Mickey Ezell (now Capt.) and Lt. Bill Morris (now Capt.) assisted with the delivery of Marie and the care of her mother who required a rapid transport to St. Mary's due to post-delivery complications.

The invitation was certainly a nice surprise not to mention,a powerful reminder of the lasting impact we can have on the people we serve! Congratulations to Captains Springthorpe, Ezell and Morris for their excellent work almost 23 years ago!

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Story and photo submitted by Captain Don Delucia, PIO
Posted on July 28th , 2011.

Volunteer Battalion Receives Donation

This month, the Volunteer Battalion received a generous donation of an emergency rescue skid for their Polaris UTV. The skid was donated by the members of the Community Assistance and Benefit Corp. (CAB Corp.) CAB Corp. is a totally volunteer organization that endeavors to support essential community services in western Palm Beach County, Florida. CAB Corp. provides assistance and raises funds for the benefit of public service organizations such as fire/rescue stations in Palm Beach County Battalion #4.

The rescue skid was custom built for the Polaris and designed for rough terrain and for use in all-weather situations. Made of aluminum, it is rugged and rust proof. This emergency rescue skid unit is designed to install in minutes. The Volunteer Battalion is very grateful to the members of CAB Corp. and is pleased to have this additional resource to support our mission of providing supplemental apparatus and personnel as required by PBCFR.

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Story and photos submitted by Volunteer Battalion Chief Kevin Rattey
Posted on July 28th , 2011.

Commissioner Abrams Press Conference

A press conference was held today in Boca Raton at the site of the gas leak that occurred a few weeks ago. The management company and Commissioner Steve Abrams wanted to honor Fire Rescue, PBSO and the building department for their outstanding work and patience on the multi-day incident. On the day of the call, a small fire in the kitchen of Sweet Tomatoes turned out to be a fire fed by leaking propane gas from an old underground 500 gallon tank. It took almost three days for the leak to stop and the tank to be removed.
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Story and photos submitted by Capt. Don Delucia, PIO
Posted on July 22nd , 2011.

Multi-Vehicle Crash on Okeechobee Blvd

Last Friday evening around 7:30 (7/8) units responded to a multi-car pile-up on Okeechobee Bl near Vista Parkway. Initially, it appeared they had a mass casualty incident with upwards of six patients. It ended up with only two patients going to the hospital, No trauma alerts were called.
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Story submitted by Capt. Don Delucia, PIO, photos submitted by Battalion Chief Nigel Baker
Posted on July 12th , 2011.

Van Into Condo

Around 11 am on Friday, July July 8th, a gentleman that was backing his van into a parking spot at 3593 Birdie Dr in suburban Lake Worth had a slight accident. His foot slipped off the brake and hit the accelerator, careening the van into the wall of the condo building. It literally smashed into the bathroom of the condo apartment that he hit. Luckily the driver was uninjured and the residents of the wrecked apartment were up North. A large waterflow was eventually stopped and crews on scene began removing throw rugs, elevating furniture and did their best to remove as much water as they could before leaving.
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Story and photos submitted by Captain Don Delucia, PIO
Posted on July 12th , 2011.

Lantana Event

On Saturday, July 2, 2011, the Town of Lantana held their 90th Aniversary Celebration. Station 37 participated by performing a simulated extrication on a junk car. Assisting the crews were two Explorers and one of our Volunteers. E37: Captain Mike Walker, DO Don Whitfield, FF Kevin Killoran, Lt Scott Labadie, FF Lee Bronco, FF David Cooper, Explorers Scott Labadie, Jr and Andrew McCormick, and PBCFR Volunteer Michael McKehan.
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Story and photos submitted by District Chief Billy Schmidt
Posted on July 7th , 2011.

VIP Day at the MDA

On June 22, 2011 Palm Beach County Firefighters stopped by the annual Muscular Dystrophy Accociation summer camp held in western Lake Worth. Both on and off duty personnel provided the kids and their families with a delicious BBQ lunch and brought out a couple fire trucks. The kids, all of whom are afflicted by some form of neuromuscular disease, had the opportunity to spray water from a fire hose, while other firefighters demonstrated some tools and equipment carried on the apparatus.

The week-long summer camp has been a tradition carried on for many years by the MDA. It gives these children the opportunity to do things and participate in activities that they normally would not be able to do because of their disability. They are also able to socialize and network with other kids their own age and with similar situations. To many campers, this is the "highlight of their year!" At camp, the kids are able to participate in numerous activities such as canoeing, horseback riding, swimming, games and contests, and much more!

Thanks to Stations 32 and 48 for spending time with the campers. Also a big thank-you to the following personnel for helping out off duty: Capt. Justin Schainuck and his son, Capt. Jerry Baker (Ret), Lt. Gary Sands, DO Tom Clinger and his daughters, Dispatcher Artie Werkle, and FF Bruce Britt.
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Story by Firefighter/Paramedic Troy Dichard, photos by Brandy Miller - MDA Representative
Posted on June 28th , 2011.

PBCFR helps out with the NFL Football Camp in Pahokee

On June 3 and 4 2011, the crew from Station 72 in Pahokee was asked to help out the City of Pahokee with their NFL High School Player Development Program camp. The camp involved approximately 200 kids, as well as some professional football players from the NFL. The crew from Station 72 was tasked to perform the cooking duties and District Chief Burroughs was asked to say a few words of encouragement to the crowd.

The kids had a great time and the City of Pahokee was grateful for the help.

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Story by District Captain Craig Prusansk, photos by Battalion Chief Chuck Lupo
Posted on June 24th , 2011.

Youth Summit - Tri-City Stars Slam Dunk event in The Glades

PBCFR Station 72 A-Shift in Pahokee was asked to help out at the PBC Youth Summit/Tri-City Stars Slam Dunk event at the Pahokee Recreation Center on June 17, 2011. This event involved 3-on-3 basketball tournaments, as well as presentations about topics such as gang violence, alcohol and drug abuse resistance education, HIV/STD screening and blood pressure checks.

The Station 72 crew and members of PBCFR Explorer Post 655 in The Glades came out to lend a hand. In all, about 50 kids attended. The crew helped out by cooking and serving lunch to everyone that attended this event.

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Story and photos by District Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on June 24th , 2011.

Multi-Vehicle Accident

Station 21 and Special Ops 34 units worked a multi vehicle accident just West of Palms West Hospital the evening of June 8. One patient was a trauma alert to Delray and another patient was taken to Palms West.
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Photos by Artie Werkle
Posted on June 16th , 2011.

Honor Guard/Pipe and Drum Wall in Museum

Honor Guard members Sean Pamplona and Steen Eriksson with the expertise of Jeff Miller, transformed a wall in the museum at HQ for Honor Guard and Pipe and Drum memorabilia. The wall is a work in progress, with more photos and other items to be added. Check it out next time you are at HQ. It is next to the Wellness Center door.
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Story and photos by Captain Steen Eriksson
Posted on April 18th , 2011.

AED for South Bay City Hall

On Friday, April 15, 2011, the City of South Bay received an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) for their City Hall. The AED and cabinet was installed by Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Battalion 7, and the crew from Station 74 'A' shift. Shown in the photo from left to right are Public Works Employee Omar Sheppard, Human Resources Director Vicky Del Bosquez-Taylor, City Clerk Virginia K. Walker, Administrative Assistant Jessica Figueroa, District Captain Craig Prusansky, Public Works Employee George Sandiford. A CPR class was also given to the city employees the same day to make sure that they were trained in the use of this device.

An AED is a medical device which is connected to a person who has experienced sudden cardiac arrest. This machine is able to automatically detect the heart's rhythm, and if needed, deliver a life-saving electrical shock. It is meant to be used as a lifesaving device by people trained in CPR until the paramedics arrive.

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Story by District Captain Craig Prusansky, photo by Firefighter/Paramedic Matthew Poulin
Posted on April 18th , 2011.

Rollover Crash on US 27 near Lake Harbor

On Saturday, April 9, 2011, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue stations 73 and 74 responded to a reported rollover vehicle crash on US Highway 27 just north of Lake Harbor. Hendry County Sheriff also received the 911 call and sent their units to assist.

Clewiston Fire Department and Hendry County Fire/EMS units arrived on scene first, and began to handle the scene. They found 3 people trapped inside of a pickup truck that had blown a tire and subsequently rolled, but was now upright. The crews from Engine 74 and Rescue 73 arrived shortly afterwards and began to assist the other crews already on scene. Using the "Jaws of Life", all three patients were removed from the vehicle and sent to a local hospital with minor injuries.

This call was an example of the good working relationship that all three agencies have with each other in this area of Palm Beach County.

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Story and photos by District Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on April 12th , 2011.

The Great American Cleanup in Pahokee

On Saturday, April 9, 2011, the crew from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 72 helped out the City of Pahokee at "The Great American Cleanup" event held at Martin Luther King park in Pahokee.

Citizens and city officials came to help out with some tree planting, grass mowing, and litter pickup. This was all done in cooperation with "Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful, Inc.", Florida's certified non-profit affiliate of "Keep America Beautiful."

The crew from Station 72 was tasked with the cooking duties for the event. They served a crowd of approximately 300 people, all helping to make Pahokee a little bit cleaner.
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Story and photos by District Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on April 12th , 2011.

PBCFR Members Volunteer for Camp Good Grief

This past weekend March 4-6, 2011, PBCFR members Aaron Turner, Jason Martino, Dave Collado, Gary Garrett, Ada Vought and Drew Reyburn, volunteered their free time serving as camp counselors for a local bereavement camp for area children between the ages of 5-15. Camp Good Grief is designed to help children who have recently lost a loved one through their grieving process. The camp is organized and funded through Hospice by the Sea and is free to the children in Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Each counselor worked with the children individually and as a group through various activities to help them address their feelings and emotions about their loss. The children that attended the camp had lost either their mother or father and in few cases, both parents. Some lost siblings, a close family member or their caretaker.

As firefighters, on any given day we may witness a child watching us, as we do our best to save the life of one of their family members. After the call is over, we aren't privy to the pain that these children will experience, that is why attending this camp "was a life changing experience," said Lt. Ada Vought. It was an emotional weekend and meeting the children and hearing their stories gives an understanding of what the families struggle with. "It puts everything into perspective really quick," said D/O Jason Martino. Even though the camp is focused on dealing with grief, there were fun activities such as swimming that was meant to give everyone an emotional break. Of course the highlight of the camp was sitting around the campfire eating s'mores and sharing our experiences at camp.

Camp Good Grief is offered twice a year, during the spring and fall. If you have an interest in becoming a future counselor and would like more information about the camp, or you know a child that may benefit from the camp, please contact Aaron Turner D/O 29B.

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Story and photos submitted by Aaron Turner
Posted on March 16th , 2011.

Caluvito Story

On February 25th and 26th Fire Rescue and Home Depot teamed up to provide much needed home improvements to the Caluvito family. By now you are all aware that Nick Caluvito is a disabled FDNY fire fighter who was injured in the line of duty over 30 years ago. He paid the ultimate price for his heroic efforts and has been a quadriplegic for many years. Due to the expense of his round the clock care, home repairs have been at the bottom of their priority list. Home Depot stepped up to the plate and donated everything on our home repair wish list, and went as far to have their management personally volunteer to help with the project.

The home repairs included pressure cleaning from the roof down, removing and installing a new fence, painting the exterior of the home, and painting Nicks room. Lunch on Saturday was provided by the local 2928. The list of volunteers for both days are as follows: Scott and Marilyn Calvis,Phil Williams, Dave Prill,Adrian Castro, Dennis Morel,Cletus Pirtle,Sandra and Mike Boike,John and Daisy Harsch,Chief Jerauld,Jack Norris,Tim Calhoun,John Larkin, retired FF Jim Miller,and Team Home Depot members Ed Mary, AJ Saunders.

A great turn out and good time had by all. I would like to personally thank all those who volunteered not only on these two days but for previous help and visits with Nick. He will be attending the Delray Fire parade and I hope you take the time to stop by and see him.He will be viewing the parade from the porch of the Colony Hotel.
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Story and photos submitted by Jack Norris
Posted on March 10th , 2011.

Station 35 Car Fires

On Sunday February 20, 2011, In between running medical calls and going on move-ups, Engine and Rescue-35 had two vehicle fires. We used the K-12, making a V cut on the hood of these vehicles which gave us quick access to the engine compartment.
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Story and photos submitted by Amado Li
Posted on February 25th , 2011.

Update on Cresthaven Smoke Alarm Installation at Dudley with Media Event

On Saturday February 5, 42 Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Volunteers arrived at the Dudley club house at Cresthaven Condominium. They were there to install smoke alarms ( the newer 10 year life, lithium battery operated type) in the homes of some of the seniors that reside there. By the afternoon they had installed over 500 alarms. This area (at Cresthaven Condominium) was divided into 18 quadrants and teams literally went door to door to do the installations.

We were lucky enough to have Carol and Luis Martinez at that location to promote this program with the media. On January 16th they had a fire in their apt. in the Ashley section. It was late at night and Carol Martinez was asleep on the sofa in the living room. Her husband was taking a shower and heard the smoke alarm sounding. He awakened his wife, saw fire in the back bedroom and both were able to escape with some of their pets. They lost everything and had no insurance. They have since moved and our Fire Rescue Volunteers again installed new smoke alarms in their new residence. Channels 5, 12 and 25 and the Sun Sentinel all covered the event including an interview with the couple.

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Story and photos submitted by Gerri Penney
Posted on February 11th , 2011.

In Service, In Quarters, Charged Lines on the Ground!

Awareness levels of keeping crews in service, in zone and in quarters has never been greater these days. That is exactly what members of Station 47 had in mind over the past 10 1/2 months in designing and implementing a new "Portable Crosslay Hose Cart System"!

The innovative Hose Cart models the exact dimension of a typical apparatus pre-connected hose bed. A project design that has been in the works for years now recently came to fruition in late 2010/early 2011 when an old engine was being moved to surplus. The hose bed of this engine was salvaged by fire rescue fleet service technicians (those guys are amazing!!!!) in order to acquire the raw materials to build the creative training tool.

The cart offers a heightened level of service for the residents of 47's zone in the way both units remain in service during the evolutions. In the past, when a cross-lay was pulled off the Quint it required the aerial to be raised in order to repack the pre-connected 1.75" hose line. With the aerial up, outriggers out, and deployed lines on the ground this usually required that the Quint company would be placed "out of service". Not anymore! The Cross-lay Cart is easily wheeled out from the apparatus bay and can be charged straight off a hydrant, or from Quint 47 directly. It can act as simulated hose off the apparatus or drills can include a relay pump scenario. Other times crews simply focus on hose stretches where the hose cart can be positioned between obstacles like parked cars, building entrances, between the fuel pumps, etc (all available in the front yard of the firehouse). In some of the pics attached the cart was strategically parked so a realistic drill could be performed where members arrived, stepped off the truck in full gear and went to work. Split pulls were practiced and cones were set up for target knockdown once the friction points were managed. While performing evolutions with the Cross-lay Hose Cart system, Q47 was paged out to a call. The crews simply disconnected the supply line and drove away without delay.

The cart features (2) pre-connected 1.75" lines with a gated wye appliance on the supply side. Another 2.5" coupling w/ hydrant valve allows the supply of a 200' pre-connect of 2.5" Blitz attack line (something not available on most Quint apparatus).

A community partnership was established in order to pay for some of the appliances and components of the Cross-lay Hose Cart. Some inline flowmeters and specialty nozzles were also donated to compliment the cart (not all arrived yet). Between the crews' innovative design and the amazing technicians at fire rescue fleet services this project would have never happened without the support of the local residents and our local DC/BC staff!

Station 47 Crews
ABC Shifts

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Story and photos submitted by Doug McGlynn
Posted on February 3rd , 2011.

Extended Extrication on US Hwy 27

On Sunday January 23rd, the 7th Battalion responded to a reported roll-over of a semi-tractor trailer hauling gravel. PBSO reported that the driver was pinned in the cab.

E74 arrived just south of the US Hwy 27/ SR 827 intersection. They reported a large dump truck on its side with the load of gravel across the entire north bound lane. Upon survey of the area and vehicle it was found that the driver was in fact in need of extrication. The Drivers side was down with the dash and steering column applying pressure on the driver's legs. The hydraulic holding tank and the down side diesel saddle tank both had minor leaks.

Based on this information, Q73 was requested. It has the 10,000 psi extrication equipment and the 75' ladder can be raised if additional lights are needed. Due to the potential for an extended extrication, Trauma Hawk was requested. SO34 was sent with the initial alarm.

Members of R73, E74 and Q73, pulled protection lines, assessed the scene, the patient, assembled extrication equipment and began the task of cutting the driver out of his cab. Moss Towing was on scene and apprised of the extrication issues facing the crew. Base on this exchange Moss brought out both a Class C and Class D wrecker. Multiple plans were discussed and initiated to attempt to free the driver's legs. Due to the cab resting on the folded over guard rail, the fact that the cab was not flat but rather cocked at an angle putting additional stress on it and limited points to push or pull, Moss towing personnel were consulted as to what they would recommend and could do with their large class tow trucks. The primary plan developed was to raise the boom above the cab, lower their cable and attach it to the steering column and lift it off the driver allowing us to remove him out the roof that had previously been cut open. This did not accomplish what we expected. After a re-evaluation, E74 was relocated allowing the second tow truck access. Q73 and E34 captains reviewed options and consulted with Donald Moss of Moss Towing. It was decided to make a few more cuts and use the first tow truck to stabilize and lift the cab. The second tow truck was positioned so that its boom would be projected out to a position in front of the cab. This would allow them to get a much better angle on the steering column and dash to again pull it away. A coordinated effort to lift the cab off the guardrail and at the same time pull the dash and steering column towards the front of the cab allowed the driver to be immediately removed out the roof. The Driver was assessed and transferred to the waiting Trauma Hawk crew for transport to the regional trauma center.

A coordinated effort between all parties as well as access to heavy class wreckers made this complicated extrication a success. From arrival of the first Palm Beach County Fire Rescue unit, E74 to extrication of the patient took less than 2 hours.

Units on scene. E74, Q73, R731, TH1, E34, R34, SO34, DC7, EMS7, DC9.

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Story and photos submitted by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on February 2nd , 2011.

House Fire in Belle Glade

On Monday, January 24, 2011, at a little before 8:00 pm, the crew at Station 73 was alerted by people banging on the firehouse door to report a fire a few doors down from the firehouse. The house fire was located in the 500 block of SW 2nd Street in Belle Glade. Upon exiting the firehouse the crews could see fire and smoke coming from the front and side windows of the house. Thanks to the close proximity to the firehouse, the crews were able to rapidly attack the fire and contain most of the damage to front half of the house.

The cause of the fire was found to be accidental and was started by an unattended pot on the stove. The residents had evacuated the house and no one was injured.

Units on scene:
E73, Q73, R73, R731, DC7, EMS7

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Story and photos by District Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on January 26th , 2011.

Trailer Fire on US Hwy 27 in Rural Palm Beach County

Just prior to change of shift on Monday, January 17th, units from the 7th Battalion were paged to a reported semi-tractor trailer fire on US Hwy 27, south of South Bay. Units arrived to find flames and smoke showing from the trailer portion. The driver had already disconnected his tractor and moved it from the immediate area. The wheel bearings had fail and overheated causing a fire that extended into the trailer and spread throughout. Due to the location and lack of water an additional engine and tender were requested.

It became apparent early on that this would be a stubborn fire. The
Trailer was refrigerated and heavily insulated. EMS7 (Capt. J. Wasielewski) using his TIC knew the insulation would not allow a true indication of what was happening inside. He reported that his TIC never displayed a temperature above 68 degrees while looking at the exterior even with fire rolling under the roof of the trailer.

The IC, Capt S. Berkowitz (E73) ordered the truck to be cut open with saws. At the same time the piercing nozzle of Q73 was put in service. The coordinated attack was begun but it would take a great deal of time and labor to open the truck this way. Moss Towing had arrived with a large Class D wrecker. Capt. Berkowitz and DC7 (S. Rice) spoke to Moss towing personnel who indicated they had a backhoe parked nearby. Due to the extensive overhaul that would be needed, Donald Moss, owner of Moss towing had the backhoe brought to the scene. Proper use of heavy equipment makes the overhaul process much quicker and a whole lot less labor intensive.

Very shortly after the first grab with the bucket, water was able to be applied directly to what was burning. The trailer was dismantled and the contents spread out on the roadway by the backhoe for final overhaul.

Units on scene- E73, Q73, T72, Batt. Spare Eng (water supply), E74, R73, DC7 and EMS7.

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Story and photos submitted by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on January 26th , 2011.

Habitat for Humanity Team Build Day

A recent Saturday morning found employees from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue assembled for another "team build" effort to support Habitat for Humanity. This time the job site was located in Jupiter. The group spent the morning hours building and erecting the interior stud walls for the 4 bedroom home.

"We actually worked ourselves out of a job thanks to the good turn out.", said Chris Gass, a Paramedic who gave up his Saturday to support Habitat's mission - the construction of decent affordable housing.

Working together the team managed to get all of their work done ahead of schedule which gave them time for some food and refreshments at the nearby home of one of the team members.

The day was bitter sweet though, as this is the final home to be constructed in the Kennedy Estates subdivision. The 27 home parcel of land was given to Habitat for Humanity by the Board of County Commissioners a little over 2 years ago.

"Driving down the street seeing all the homes occupied by the partner families with children playing in the yards brings it home that we're making a real difference"., noted Steve Jerauld, a longtime Habitat volunteer who also happened to be the Fire Chief of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.

These team builds are a fun way to spend time with coworkers away from the job. Participants spend time learning things about building a house and learning new things about the people they work with everyday.

The team was comprised of these individuals: Steve Jerauld, Timothy Calhoun, Chris Gass, Jack Norris, John Harsch, Cletus Pirtle, James St. Pierre, John Sherry.

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Story and photos submitted by Jack Norris
Posted on January 11th , 2011.

Truck in Canal in Belle Glade

On Monday, January 3, 2011, at a little before 3:00 pm, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 73 responded to a report of a vehicle in the canal in the northeast section of Belle Glade. Crews arrived to find a head-on crash of a US Postal Service vehicle and a pickup truck. The pickup truck was in a shallow canal.

After stabilizing the truck, the crews were able to assist the driver of the truck to the canal bank. Both drivers were taken to a local hospital for minor injuries.

The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Units on scene: E73, Q73, R73, R731, DC7, EMS7.
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Story and photos submitted by Craig Prusansky
Posted on January 6th , 2011.

Christmas at St. Mary's Childrens Hospital

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Posted on December 30th , 2010.

Three Helicopters Crash in One Night

Early in the morning of December 8, 2010, Battalion 7 responded to three separate and unrelated incidents involving helicopters. Some cold temperatures had moved into the area, and the various crop farmers employ the use of helicopters to keep the air moving around the crops, preventing frost from forming. On this particular night, there were multiple helicopters and "cropduster" type fixed-wing aircraft performing this function over the crop fields.

The first incident was called in at about 2:00 am at the Pahokee Airport. A helicopter was reported to have crashed at the airport. Crew arrived to find the helicopter still upright, but the tail rotor had separated from the tail. This helicopter had come to a rest right next to the fuel pumps. Fortunately, the fuel pumps were not damaged and no one was injured.

The second incident was called in at about 5:45 am. The caller reported that a helicopter went down in a corn field just adjacent to the Osceola Sugar Mill east of Pahokee. The crews were brought back to the crash site by the farm staff. The helicopter was heavily damaged but the pilot was not injured.

The third incident was called in at about 7:30 am. The location of the crash was about 2 miles east of Sand Cut (about 18 miles northeast of the Pahokee Airport). The pilot was injured and brought by another helicopter to Pahokee Airport where he was transferred to the care of the paramedics, and eventually brought to the Trauma Center. This helicopter also sustained heavy damage.

The cause of all three of these incidents is being investigated by the FAA and other agencies.

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Story by District Captain Craig Prusansky, photos by District Captains Ken Sehres and Craig Prusansky and Firefighter Paramedic Troy Dichard
Posted on December 15th , 2010.

Habitat for Humanity Build

A cool breeze gently swayed the branches of the stoic cypress that stood over us like an umbrella over sun bathers at the beach. We were gathered for a team build day organized by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and Local 2928 to support the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Our mission was to install the roof shingles onto the first home Habitat has ever built in the Glades. After a safety breifing conducted by Donny Kula, the site superintendant, we were working the shingles across the span of the roof like an old fashioned typewriter working a sheet of paper.

Thanks to a good turn out, there were enough of us to work on different sides of the roof at the same time. The on duty crews from Battalion 7 even stopped by to help out with ground clean up as the sound of pneumatic nail guns filled the air. The morning hours passed by quickly as we all worked together eventually reaching the peak of the home's roof just in time for lunch. We all lined up for the Bar-B-Q lunch provided by Local 2928 which was expertly prepared by Hugo Matos. Grilled chicken, baked beans and potato salad gave us the energy we needed to clean up the site and load up the tools for an early but well deserved "quittin" time.

Before leaving I took a look back at the house with its new roof and felt a sence of accomplishment. When we arrived it was just tar paper and tin tabs. By the time we left the roof had a shiny new facade with which to face the elements. This roof would shelter the Hill family for many years to come. It's legacy will be that of protector over the family living under it. The volunteers that helped put the roof over the heads of Hill family will share that legacy.

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Story and photos submitted by Jack Norris
Posted on December 15th , 2010.

Second Annual Achilles Freedom Team Lake Okeechobee BBQ and Airboat Trip

On Friday December 3, 2010, a group of disabled veterans and their families were treated to a BBQ and air boat excursion on Lake Okeechobee near Belle Glade. This second annual event is put on by members of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and IAFF Local 2928, and is a way of showing our appreciation toward members of the Armed Forces. The group is a part of the Achilles Freedom Team, in town to compete in the Palm Beach Marathon on December 5th. The Achilles Freedom Team serves adults and children with physical disabilities, enabling opportunities to participate in mainstream athletics, with a focus on marathons nationwide. The Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Vets has a specific focus on racing as rehabilitation for our wounded military, primarily for those wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This year, with the help of local air boat operators who volunteered their time, the Vets were given the grand tour of scenic Lake Okeechobee and the surrounding everglades. A few lucky people even had the opportunity to ride on PBCFR's Air Boat 73! They were taken to Kramer Island, near Belle Glade, where a giant tree house is located. During the trip many kept an eye out for wildlife, such as alligators, and that perfect photo opportunity. This was a rare opportunity, since most were from out of state. This event was quoted by one of the Vets to be "the highlight of the trip" and fun and laughs was had by all.

A special Thank-You to the following individuals:
- D/O Hugo Matos and D/O Donnie How for cooking the delicious BBQ!
- Paul Hart and the volunteers air boat operators from Glades area Buggy and Airboat Club!
- Battalilion Chief Mike Arena
- The crew of E73 and AB73 - C Shift
- FF/PM Roy Griffith, Lt. Liz Cusell, Lt. Tim Lewis, Capt. Jennifer Johnson, and many more!

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Story and photos submitted by Troy Dichard, FF/PM
Posted on December 7th , 2010.

Florida Fallen Firefighter Memorial

Members of the Honor Guard and Pipe and Drum Corps represented Palm Beach County Fire Rescue in Ocala for the October 2010 Florida Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service. The permanent memorial is situated in the center courtyard on the campus of the Florida State Fire College.

This year, 4 (four) Florida Firefighters were memorialized for Line-of-Duty deaths, and their names were added to the memorial.

This is similar to the ceremonies that take place at the National Fire Academy in Maryland, and at the IAFF Memorial in Colorado Springs

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Story and photos submitted by Captain Steen Eriksson
Posted on December 3rd , 2010.

PBCFR Hosts Critical Incident Training

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue hosted a Critical Incident Training provided by CIT of Palm Beach County to local law enforcement the week of November 1st. Critical Incident Training, or CIT, is a comprehensive training that provides skills, knowledge, and perspective in dealing with critical events involving people with mental illness. Many of our area's law enforcement officers have been through the program and are called CIT officers. Even our own department personnel and Community Assistant Team members have attended the training. At the graduation Chief Jerauld and Chief Deputy Gauger delivered inspirational messages in support of the CIT program and our departmental partnership.
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Story and photos submitted by CAT Coordinator Alicia Kula
Posted on November 24th , 2010.

Battalion 7 Handles Rollover

On November 15th, at 0931hrs Station 73, C-shift along with PBSO responded to 911 calls about a motor vehicle accident north of Rardin Park on SR 715 between Belle Glade and Pahokee on the eastern rim of Lake Okeechobee. The callers said that a single vehicle had rolled over and the driver was trapped inside. Due to the location and initial information, E72 and Trauma Hawk were requested.

The first unit on scene was a PBSO Deputy in a 4 wheel-drive pickup truck. The vehicle involved was off the roadway, on its side and unstable. The Driver was still trapped inside. The Deputies' truck was equipped with a winch, which was immediately attached to the undercarriage of the auto to stabilize it and keep it from rolling down the embankment onto its roof. Since DC7 has the ability to contact PBSO on their channel (interoperability) contact was made to determine the exact location, number and severity of injuries. The deputy advised only one person was trapped inside but is able to talk and answer question. R73, E73 and District 7 were the first FD units to arrive. Command was established and E73 was assigned to stabilize and determined the best way to remove the driver. It was determined that removing the windshield would allow us to remove the driver. R73's assessment of the driver found that the injuries we not life threatening. The driver was still being restrained and hanging by the seatbelt. E72 and the Trauma Hawk were canceled. The Driver was removed and transported to the hospital for further evaluation. Wearing the seatbelt helped keep the patient inside the vehicle and limited the injuries.

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Story and photos submitted by Curtis Rice
Posted on November 17th , 2010.

Gulfstream Goodwill Academy Visits Station 42

Station 42 hosted a station and apparatus tour for the Gulfstream Goodwill Academy in which approximately 35 mentally challenged people visited the fire station. The academy students got to see the day and the life of a firefighter. All participants got a tour of the entire station and all assigned vehicles. The tour ended whith everyone spraying the fire hose. All the students and teachers were thrilled of there experience. Everyone departed with a big smile on there faces.

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Story and photo submitted by Captain James Peterson
Posted on November 17th , 2010.

House Fire on Orange Grove Blvd

PBCFR units in Battalion 2 responded to 11514 Orange Grove Blvd on October 30, 2010 at 0455 hrs to fight a residential structure fire. The crews had a very difficult time with several issues with water supply and water sources. Tenders 14 and 21 had to respond to assist after a draft site to the south could not provide a sufficient amount of water. Subsequently, the structure was a total loss. The family that occupied the structure was not at home at the time of the fire. The fire was determined to be a unspecified malfunction in the air handler unit mounted in the attic. The home was a wood frame 2-story structure with stucco finish.
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Story and photos submitted by Fire Investigator Thomas Fucci
Posted on November 10th , 2010.

Hugo Matos, 2010 Belle Glade Firefighter of the Year

From Battalion Chief Michael Arena's Speech:

Good evening everyone, on behalf of Chief Steve Jerauld it indeed an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to recognize the achievements of one of our top personnel this evening.

This individual is an exceptional and dedicated employee and he has a sincere commitment to the city of Belle Glade, Palm Beach County, the Glades region and the people who live and work here. We are very proud to offer this remarkable firefighter as the 2010 Belle Glade Chamber of Commerce firefighter of the year.

Hugo also worked for the city of Belle Glade fire department for many years and has always done what is in the best interest of the citizens of the community. Hugo is one of those people who continue to work until the job is done. Hugo loves coming to work and doing the best
possible job he can. I have had the pleasure of working with Hugo for nearly 5 years and he is one of the most dedicated employees I have met.

The Belle Glade Fire Department had an extremely valuable asset in Hugo Matos and Palm Beach County Fire rescue is extremely fortunate to have him on our team and more importantly right here in Belle Glade. He has done an tremendous job and we are all extremely excited about awarding Drive Operator Hugo Matos the Firefighter of the year award for 2010.

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Story and photos submitted by Battalion Chief Michael Arena
Posted on November 4th , 2010.

Engine 37 Attends Palm Beach School for Autism Fall Festival

Engine 37 crew attended The Palm Beach School for Autism Fall Festival on October 30 2010. The crew spent the day entertaining the children and parents with Fire Engine tours and spraying fire hoses. The children really enjoyed the fire engine it was definately the big hit of the festival. The crew was Captain Neil Isler, Driver Engineer Joe Crespi and Fire Medic Jimmy Hotchkiss. the crew not only had a great time with kids but they learned quite a bit about the disease of Autism and the effects it can have on these children and there families. One bit of information is worth sharing, alot of these children are drawn to water, anything that vibrates, and spinning things. this information was shared by one of the parents. The parent wanted to let us know that if we ever ran a call with a child of Autism that we could use this information to calm them. Keep this in mind if you ever face a situation where you need to try to calm an autistic child, water dripping from an IV bag or a pen spinning on a table use whatever you can but the principles are water, vibrations and spinning things. I hope that we have the privelage of attending this event in years to come it was a great event and a fun afternoon for all that attended.
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Story and photos submitted by Captain Neil Isler
Posted on November 2nd , 2010.

PBCFR Sweeps Awards

At the 65th Annual Florida Arson Seminar held in Orlando this week, PBCFR Fire Investigators swept 3 awards that were given out. In the photo competition, Fire Investigator Michael Boike won for the Arson fire category and Fire Investigator Pam Summers won for the Accidental fire category. Tom Fucci was the recipient of the 2010 Fire Investigator of the Year award.

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Posted on October 29th , 2010.

PBCFR Fire Fighter Combat Challenge Team Wins 2010 Nationals

The PBCFR Fire Fighter Combat Challenge Team competed in the 2010 National Finals the weekend of Oct. 23rd. The team competed well and were able to win and became the 2010 National Champions. The team also competed in the male tandem event, the co-ed tandem event, as well as the relay event. The team was able to place 3rd and 8th in the male tandem, 5th in the co-ed tandem, but were eliminated in the relay finals. Once again Mackenzie Briggs represented the County well by placing 2nd overall. He is considered one of the fastest competitors in the United States. The team will now compete in the World Finals during the week of Nov. 8th, in Myrtle Beach SC. The female Combat Challenge Team also competed and placed 4th over all in the female relay event. Below is a list of the times the teams ran during the compitions.

Team Event        4 min 37 sec
Mackenzie Briggs  1 min 28 sec
Lee Bronco        1 min 32 sec
Jason Martino     1 min 36 sec
Jacques Aime      1 min 38 sec
Aaron Piering     1 min 48 sec

Male Tandem
Lee Bronco / Mackenzie Briggs   1 min 17 sec  3rd place
Jason Martino / Jacques Aime    1 min 22 sec  8th place

Co-ed Tandem
Mackenzie Briggs / Whitney MacLeod  1 min 37 sec  5th place

Female Relay Event  2 min 20 sec. 4th place
Elizabeth Welsh
Amy Timinski
Trisha Kamalu
Jessica Lawrence
Laura Villers

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Story by Jason Martino
Posted on October 29th , 2010.

AED for Pahokee City Hall

On Tuesday, October 26, 2010, the City of Pahokee received an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) for their City Hall. The AED and cabinet was installed by Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Battalion 7, and the crew from Station 72 'A' shift. Shown in the photo from left to right are District Captain Craig Prusansky, Pahokee Human Resources Director Mary Kendall, and Pahokee City Manager Derrek Moore.

An AED is a medical device which is connected to a person who has experienced sudden cardiac arrest. This machine is able to automatically detect the heart's rhythm, and if needed, deliver a life-saving electrical shock. It is meant to be used as a lifesaving device by people trained in CPR until the paramedics arrive.
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Story by District Captain Craig Prusansky, photo by Firefighter Paramedic John Karliss
Posted on October 29th , 2010.

Fire House 31 Time Capsule Removal and Station Closing Ceremony

Fire House 31 had a memorable ceremony on Friday (Oct 7). A time capsule that was found in an outside wall, dating back to 1965, was opened in a formal ceremony and the event was closed with a formal station closing ceremony. This was the first time a program of this nature has ever been done at PBCFR. The crews at Station 31 did an outstanding job of putting it together and they may have set the mold for future such ceremonies. Four of the original members of Trail Park Volunteer Fire Department were in attendance and were recognized in front of the estimated 100 attendees.

For those that were wondering - Inside the sealed copper box were:

A 1965 copper penny; numerous newspaper articles: about the previous stations' destruction from a hurricane; about the construction of the new station (at a cost of $32,000); a bible; a roster of members; a group b&w photo of the members; a bingo card signed by volunteers and wives; the lead from the pencil that was used for the drawings of the building; other notes and mementos

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Posted on October 12th , 2010.

Firefighter Combat Challenge Update

The PBCFR Fire Fighter Combat Challenge Team wanted to say thank you to all the members of the department for their continued support and to give a quick update on how the season has been going. Since our last event in West Virginia, the team has been to Elkton Maryland, Tyler Texas and Pittsburg Pennsilvania. Listed below are the results of how the team placed in each event. We also wanted to let everyone know that the members of the FFCC team have been representing the department well. One member, Mackennzie Briggs, has put PBCFR on the map as far as the FFCC is concerned. Mackennzie has finished in 1st place in the individual event three times, 2nd place in the individual 2 times, been part of winning the team event two times, placed 1st in the tandem one time and placed 2nd in the co-ed tandem twice. He also was part of the relay team that won 1st place this past weekend. He has the fastest time ever for PBCFR, fastest ever in the state of Florida, and currently has the fastest time in the United States for the 2010 FFCC season. We salute his efforts and wish him luck at the National event coming up in Oct.. If anyone is interseted in watching the National event and supporting the team, the competition starts on Oct. 22nd and runs through Oct. 24th in Kissimmee Florida. Once again thank you for all the support.

Elkton Maryland = Briggs                              1st place               1 min 28 sec
Tyler Texas = Briggs                                   1st place               1 min 31 sec
                      Peiring                                  Personnal best       1 min 50 sec
Pittsburg PA.= Team Event                          1st place
                       Briggs                                                              1 min 30 sec
                       Bronco                                                             1 min 34 sec
                       Martino                                                            1 min 38 sec
                       Peiring                                                             2 min 03 sec

                       Male Tandem Event

                       Briggs/Bronco                       2nd place              1 min 20 sec
                       Martino/Peiring                     3rd place              1 min 25 sec

                       Co-ed Tandem Event

                       Briggs/Macleod                     2nd place              1 min 39 sec

                       Team Relay Event                 1st place               1 min 17 sec

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Posted on October 7th , 2010.

Annual Tunnel to Tower Race (NYC)

Hello to everyone, hope all is well. I just wanted to pass along that members of PBCFR participated in the annual Tunnel to Towers 5k run in New York. For those of you that may not know about this annual run, let me explain. This run is held in New York City, and it's a run in memory of Stephen Siller, and the rest of the firefighters who were lost on 9/11. Stephen Siller was a member of Squad 1 and had just got off shift. When he heard about the terror attacks, he turned his car around and attempted to get to the towers. He was stopped on the Brooklyn side of the Battery tunnel because the tunnel had been closed by the NYPD. Stephen Siller park his car, put his gear on, and ran approximatley 5k to the towers where he met up with his company and was tragicaly killed. The following year his wife started the run in memory of her husband and the others that were lost on 9/11. The run started out small, with approximatley 2500 participating, and has now grown to over 20,000 participating every year. The money that is generated goes to the Siller "Lets Do Good" Childrens Foundation. This foundation was created to serve the needs of children who have lost one or both of their parents. This is a fantastic event and I encourage everyone to participate next year for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Not only is it a great cause, It's a lot of fun. There is food and entertainment at the end of race, along with meeting fire fighters from all over the world. You can walk or run in this race, as well as wear bunker gear if you see fit. For more information go to the Stephen Sillers website. Or just google Tunnel to Towers run. Hope to see you there next year.
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Posted on October 7th , 2010.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Receives Child Advocate of the Year Award

Chief Steve Jerauld, on behalf of PBCFR, was the recipient of the 2010 Annual Child Advocate of the Year Award from the Children's Home Society of Florida. A reception was held at their Forest Hill Blvd office Wednesday evening on September 29. Other members of Fire Rescue staff were in attendance in support of the department. Many comments were made by CHS board members and other attendees who were very appreciative of what we do and especially appreciative of our assistance with youth. Mention was made of the recent drop off of a newborn at the Pahokee fire station and our efficiency in the handling of the situation. The trophy from the Children�s Home Society is currently on display in the PBCFR Headquarters lobby.
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Posted on October 4th , 2010.

Chief Southard to Retire October 1st

Chief Michael Southard will be retired as of Friday October 1. His retirement party was held at the Buccaneer Restaurant on Saturday Oct. 25 and a good time was had by all (over 120 guests). Chief Southard has had a long and colorful career and we've included some photos of his retirement party. We wish him well and for continued good health and know he will now have time to enjoy his soon-to-be-built cabin in Georgia.
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Posted on September 30th , 2010.

Drowning in Lake Okeechobee

At about 4:46 pm on Tuesday, September 21, 2010, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 72 responded to a report of a possible drowning at the Pahokee Marina. When the crews arrived they were told that a gentleman was fishing off of a breakwater, had fallen into the water, and had gone under. Our divers from Station 72 immediately dove in and began searching for the fallen fisherman.

Additional units were called from Station 73 in Belle Glade to assist the divers. After almost 20 minutes of intensive searching, the divers found the gentleman and pulled him up onto a Sheriff's Office boat that was also on scene assisting the crews. Medical care was initiated as the boat rushed him to the dock where additional firefighter/paramedics were waiting.

The gentleman was transported to a local hospital. Unfortunately, in spite of everyone's efforts, he passed away a short time later.

Units on scene: E72 R72 R73 T72 EMS7 DC7

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Story and Photos by EMS Capt. Craig Prusansky
Posted on September 22nd , 2010.

MVC in Station 41's Zone

On Thursday September 16 at 12:35 hrs, E41, R41 were dispatched to a MVC on Military Trail, south of Golf Rd. On arrival, E41 found a single vehicle rollover. The vehicle was on it's side, with heavy damage from striking a tree. The driver was trapped inside the vehicle and was being comforted by bystanders. E41 immediately requested Q47 for assistance with stabilizing the vehicle, and R41B to assist with hose operations.

With a hose line in place, the vehicle stabilized, and the patient protected, E41 cut the A, B, and C posts on the passenger side and folded the roof down so that R41 could easily access the patient. The patient was taken by ground to the trauma center at DCH.
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Story and photos by Captain Jeffrey L.Newsome
Posted on September 20th , 2010.

House Fire in Belle Glade

On Friday, September 10, 2010, Battalion Seven crews responded to a residential structure fire on East Canal Street South in the City of Belle Glade with flames and smoke showing on Side A. The call was sent out as a medical initially with R73 getting an update of a fire upon arrival.
R73 along with E73 initiated a fire attack upon their arrival. The crews extinguished the blaze quickly. The fire started in the kitchen and spread to an adjoining room, and into the attic space.

Just a reminder that calls are: �like a box of chocolates � you never know what you�re going to get.�

Primary and secondary searches were done, and the occupants were not at home at the time of the fire. At least one dog was lost in the fire. Investigator M. Boike listed the cause as electrical. There were no further injuries.

Units on scene: E73, R73, R73B, Q73, E74, R74, E20, EMS7, DC7, INV6

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Story and photos by District Chief Gary Burroughs
Posted on September 13th , 2010.

House Fire in South Bay

On September 11, 2010, at approximately 8:27 pm, units from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue 7th Battalion responded to a report of a house fire on Southeast 4th Avenue in South Bay. First-in units arrived to find heavy fire and smoke coming from the front of a single-story house.

A quick fire attack was initiated and the fire was brought under control in 7 minutes. Crews remained on scene for a little over an hour performing overhaul. No one was injured in the fire.

The fire is being investigated by the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Investigations Bureau and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. The fire is being labeled as "suspicious."

Units on scene:
E74, E73, Q73, R73, R73B, DC7, EMS7, IV6
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Story and photos by EMS Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on September 13th , 2010.

Bus Crash in the Glades

At approximately 11:43 am on Wednesday, September 8, 2010, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 73 responded to a report of a bus into a canal in a rural area of The Glades, east of Belle Glade. Crews arrived to find a bus that has skidded off of the road and into a muddy canal bank, thick with brush. The bus ended up stuck in the mud, listing to one side, with 13 elderly passengers on board unable to get off of the bus.

After stabilizing the bus to one of the fire vehicles, the emergency crews brought out the passengers one by one by sliding them down a backboard over a roof ladder. This worked out exceptionally well as it minimized the strain and effort on the passengers, and some of them even enjoyed the "ride."

Two of the passengers sustained minor injuries in the crash. The crash is being investigated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Units on scene: E73, R73, R73B, EMS7

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Story and photos by EMS Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on September 10th , 2010.

Bank Fire in Belle Glade

On Monday, August 30, 2010, at 11:14 am crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Stations 73 and 74 were dispatched to a report of a fire in the ceiling at the Wachovia Bank on SW Avenue B in Belle Glade. Crews arrived to find fire in the ceiling above the main lobby, starting to spread quickly in the crawlspace. Thanks to a rapid and aggressive fire attack, the fire was able to be knocked down quickly, minimizing the damage to the bank.

The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical short in the large light fixture above the lobby floor, igniting the materials around it. No one was injured in the fire.

Units on scene: E73, E73B, R73, R73B, E74, DC7, EMS7

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Story and photos by EMS Capt. Craig Prusansky
Posted on September 1st , 2010.

Structure Fire in Belle Glade

On Friday, July 23, 2010, at approximately 7:00 am crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Stations 73 and 74 responded to a reported house fire in the 700 block of SW Avenue C Place in Belle Glade. Crews arrived to find a double-wide house trailer with heavy fire and smoke showing. It took the crews 25 minutes to bring the fire under control.

No one was injured during the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Investigations Bureau.

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Story and Photos by EMS Capt. Craig Prusansky
Posted on August 2nd , 2010.

PBCFR Volunteers Honored for 25 Years of Service

At the July 20 Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board presented a proclamation declaring July as Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Volunteer Battalion Month. This proclamation is in honor of the Volunteer Battalion�s 25 years of service. Accepting the proclamation from Chairman Burt Aaronson are volunteer coordinator Chief Kevin Rattey and Fire-Rescue Chief Steve Jerauld.

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Posted on July 21st , 2010.

Truck Into Box Culvert

On Monday, June 28, 2010, at approximately 11:00 am, units from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Stations 73 and 74 responded to a report of a truck that went into a culvert in a water treatment area under construction near the Broward County line. Units arrived to find a fuel/service truck nose-down into a box culvert under construction. The driver was trapped inside of the truck, unable to move.

Fortunately, the truck had just completed fueling some heavy equipment, so there were no significant leaks. The truck was initially stabilized by the workers using a large front-end loader and some chains. Moss Towing was also on scene and assisted the crews by attaching their wreckers and providing additional stabilization.

The crews were able to free the driver and remove him from the truck. The driver had to be carried down the culvert, and up the side where access could be made. The driver was then airlifted to the trauma center. No one else was injured.

The crash is under investigation by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Units on scene: R74 E73 DC7 EMS7 TH1

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Story and photos by EMS Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on June 30th , 2010.

Fire Rescue Employee Participates in Habitat for Humanity Build in Poland

In yet another example of their commitment to Habitat for Humanity one Fire Rescue employee hits the road. For several years many employees of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue have routinely volunteered their time and money to support the local efforts of Habitat for Humanity here in Palm Beach County. With the help of organizations like ours the local Habitat affiliate has built over 100 homes for deserving families. On occasion members of the department participate in Habitat's Global Village program. This program affords volunteers an opportunity to travel abroad visiting foreign lands to support Habitat affiliates in those countries. Here's what happened.

Volcanic ash clouds, severe flooding and looming economic fears weren't enough to stop a team of volunteers from visiting Eastern Europe to support Habitat for Humanity's mission.

16 individuals traveled from across the US to make their way to Gliwice Poland for the 9 day trip. On their first night in the country they visited the partner families to see the houses they are living in now which underscored the need for new adequate housing. In every case a lack of space was apparent. In some cases proper kitchen and bathing facilities were nonexistent.

The team spent 6 days on the job site working on the new dwellings for those families. They painted, plastered, mortared, set block and laid cement walkways on the two story multifamily unit being built there by the local Habitat affiliate. The youngest member of the team was 16 and the oldest was in their 70's. This had been the second, third and fourth trip for some members of the team who said the hard work and feeling of accomplishment of the trips are what brings them back.
The dwelling they worked on sat next to several other finished units which were occupied by Habitat partner families. Their children rode bicycles in front of the homes and their families planted gardens in the modest yards of the units. These images gave the team a sense of the legacy they will leave behind when the unit they worked on will be occupied by the families they met on their first night in Gliwice.

What was most striking about the development was how much different the Habitat units were from housing units across the street that were erected by the Soviet Union during the cold war. Habitat's solution was a carefully constructed simple dwelling that could provide families a home which starkly contrasted the government's rack them, pack them and stack them approach. The pictures tell the whole story.

The highlight of the trip was the farewell dinner. This time it was hosted by the team of volunteers for the same families who had opened their homes and hearts to the team on their first night in the country. An outdoor bar-b-que was held so team members could enjoy the clearing weather and participate in games with the children of the families. The local children were fascinated by the game of baseball and after they got the hang of it some were actually very good at it.

Habitat for Humanity has built over 350,000 homes since it was founded in 1976. Habitat's mission is to eradicate substandard housing from the face of the earth. They do this by using donated goods and materials while using volunteer labor. The families pay for the homes using an interest free 30 year mortgage.

When asked why people would volunteer their time and donate money to build affordable in other countries when there is a need at home some Global Village participants may share this thought on the matter:

"The problem of substandard housing is not an issue that is unique to any particular area of the world. Habitat is facing this challenge on a global scale including the United Sates. If you support the overall mission of Habitat for Humanity then you support their efforts without boundaries, including the boundaries set by governments, religions and cultures. Therefore, the possibility of what can be achieved also has no bounds." - Jack Norris

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Story and photos by Jack Norris
Posted on June 16th , 2010.

Jet Ski Accident on Lake Okeechobee

On May 31st, at 1632hrs, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBCFR) dispatch received a cell phone call from a person who had been riding a jet ski on Lake Okeechobee. The caller said two Jet Skis had crashed and one person was in need of emergency medical care.

While dispatchers continued to get more information, units from station 72 and 73 were dispatched. E72, R72 and T72 responded to the Pahokee Marina. This was believed to be the closest ramp to the accident. Airboat 73, DC7, EMS7, and Rescue 73 also responded. While in route, units were constantly updated. Early on it became apparent that the caller was not familiar with the area.

Immediately prior to the call for help, severe thunderstorms had passed through the region. This was making it difficult for the caller to describe landmarks as the heavy cloud cover blanketed the area. Due to the dangerous conditions created by these thunderstorms, neither the Palm Beach County Sheriff Office (PBSO) helicopter nor the Trauma Hawk could fly to assist with locating the caller.

Based on information provided, the location of the accident and the person in need of emergency medical care could have been anywhere from the area of the Belle Glade marina to well north of the Pahokee Marina. This created a problem as it represents an area of approximately 15 miles of coastline.

Due to the large area to be searched, coordination with PBSO units already on this call would be necessary. Unique to Battalion 7, units in the Glades have PBSO's channel available on their radios. This greatly assists in sharing information with the deputies on the street. DC7 was able to talk directly to PBSO dispatch as well as the units looking for the accident. Initially, the Sheriff's department sent deputies to all the marinas and ramps within the area described by the caller in an attempt to locate the accident scene. This effort did not locate the Jet Skis. At one point, the caller said they could see fishermen on the bank. This information indicated that they may be just south of Pahokee as this was the only area with clearing skies.

With this new information, efforts to locate the caller and injured person were shifted to the area south of Pahokee along the edge of the lake. PBCFR dispatch was able to get a GPS location from the cell phone. They identified the most probable position to be west of the north end of the airport in Pahokee. This information was shared with the Sheriff�s office. Deputy Sheriff Padgett was driving south on the Herbert Hoover Dike, which surrounds Lake Okeechobee. He stopped his patrol car in line with the GPS signal. From his location he was able to see two small objects floating about one mile off shore. As this description and location fit the GPS coordinates, Airboat 73 with DO J. Smith and FF/PM J. Hachet onboard was launched from the Pahokee marina. 11 minutes later Airboat 73 made contact with the caller and a patient. The patient was loaded into Airboat 73 and transported back to the Pahokee Marina. Lt A. Faso and the crew from R72 took over treatment and transported the patient to an area hospital.

Because of the joint efforts of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and Palm Beach County Sheriff�s office, the injured Jet Ski driver was located, stabilized and transported back to the marina within 1 hour of receiving the call. Fortunately for these riders, both were wearing their personal flotation device which probably saved a life.

Units on Scene, E72, R72, T72, DC7, EMS7, Airboat 73 and R73, PBSO & FWC.

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Story and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on June 16th , 2010.

Car vs Dump Truck in Belle Glade

On Friday, May 14, 2010, at 2:33 pm, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 73 responded to a reported car crash just north of Belle Glade. Crews arrived to find a car that was struck and pushed by a dump truck. The occupants of the car suffered minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital. The driver of the dump truck was not injured.

The crash is being investigated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Units on scene: E73B, R73, DC7, EMS7

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Story and photos by EMS Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on May 18th , 2010.

Multi-car Accident at Dead Man's Curve

At 2100 hrs. May 4, 2010 R72 came upon a multi-car accident on S.R. 15 at Dead Man's Curve between Pahokee and Belle Glade. Four vehicles were involved with two being heavily damaged on impact. The results were one trauma alert with minor extrication, one BLS patient, and two refusals. The three southbound vehicles involved were Canal Point Elementary School teachers returning from a school trip. PBSO is still investigating the crash.

Units on scene: E72, R72, T72, R73, R74, EMS7, and DC7.
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Story and photos by District Chief Gary Burroughs
Posted on May 7th , 2010.

Pahokee Firefighter of the Year 2010 - Bud McCarroll

Good evening everyone, I know most of you in the room. I am Battalion Chief Michael Arena and on behalf of Chief Steve Jerauld it is indeed an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to recognize the achievements of one of our top personnel this evening.

I have had the pleasure of working with Bud for over 3 years now and he is well respected by his co-workers and his superiors. This individual is an exceptional and dedicated employee and he has a sincere commitment to the city of Pahokee, Palm Beach County, the Glades region and the people who live and work here and he has been on the job here in Pahokee since we consolidated services in 2006.

Many think I pick the FF of the year but to the contrary I defer the selection to the Three District Chiefs who command the 3 shifts in the Glades and this year it was unanimous all three DC's gave me the same nomination! With that can I please ask DC Steve Rice who is here on behalf of DC Curtis Rice who is out of town and Bud�s direct supervisor Capt Tom Paccione to join me at the podium!

Bud is one of those people who continue to work until the job is done. He is a self starter and is constantly taking a class to better his job knowledge and then he brings the information back and shares it with his crews.

Recently we had to update our Air packs. These are the air tanks and breathing regulators we use to go into hazardous areas with smoke and flames during firefighting. The department put on a rigorous 2 week testing process so we could make sure we select the proper air pack for our personnel to use. Of course Bud volunteered and subsequently utilized his knowledge to train the folks at the Pahokee station.

Every year we have to certify and test all of the fire pumps on our apparatus and every year Bud calls me to volunteer before I even ask.

Some of the highlights reflecting back on Bud�s achievements are the coordination of the Easter egg hunt. On his time he solicited donations of 80 pounds candy to put in the plastic eggs through Target and he lead the charge for the fire trucks to drive through the city and hand out Candy to as many kids as they could.

He also took the time to volunteer outside of our community when Orange County Fire Rescue needed some folks to help with their Driver Operator promotional process Bud was there and he was the lead evaluator. I know it is getting late and I could speak for a long time reflecting upon Bud�s achievements and involvement to make his department and community a better place. Additionally, Bud tells me he is going to start preparing himself for competing in the Captain promotional process sometime in the future. And of course it is always extremely difficult to select one person as I feel we have many of our folks who go above and beyond every day in assisting our citizens and visitors in what often is an extremely bad day or traumatic event.

But these are the type of quality folks we have working right here in Pahokee and the Glades and we are extremely proud to award the 2010 Pahokee Chamber of Commerce FF of the year to our very own Driver Operator Bud McCarroll!

Let me tell you the merger of services from Pahokee with Palm Beach County is working and working very well because of people like Bud McCarroll.

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Article by Battalion Chief Mike Arena
Posted on May 4th , 2010.

3-Vehicle Crash in Belle Glade

On Friday, April 23, 2010, at approximately 5:00 pm crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 73 responded to a vehicle crash in downtown Belle Glade. Crews arrived to find 3 vehicles involved. One of the patients was flown to a local trauma center, and another was taken to a local hospital. The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
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Story by EMS Captain Craig Prusansky, photos by District Chief Gary Burroughs amd Captain Prusansky
Posted on April 28th , 2010.

Habitat for Humanity Build Day

Members of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue participated in a team build day working for Habitat for Humanity. The team met at the Kennedy Estates subdivision on Saturday morning to work on the roof of the Jupiter home. The land the house sits on was donated to Habitat for Humanity by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners who support Habitat�s mission of providing affordable housing to deserving families.

The day began with a safety briefing by habitat superintendants. The team spent much of the morning finishing the installation of the roof trusses. Then they focused on the installation of the fascia so work could begin on the plywood sheeting for the roof. The weather cooperated by providing a steady breeze cooling the team while they worked under clear skies. They also enjoyed lunch at the site that was provided by the Elks club.

Every member of the team found work they could perform. Everyone felt a sense of accomplishment knowing they made a contribution proving the point that no construction experience is necessary. Habitat for Humanity has built over 350,000 houses since it was founded in 1976. The partner families pay for the homes using a 30 year interest free loan and must perform sweat equity labor working on their homes or the homes of other families.

(Please visit our website at the link below to view pictures associated with this article.)
Story and photos by Jack Norris
Posted on April 26th , 2010.

House Fire in Station 46's Area

Station 46 responded to a house fire early Wednesday morning, (4/21 at 0124 hrs) and arrived to find a fully involved garage. A quick response and knockdown saved the home itself except for smoke damage and some intrusion in to the home. A BMW and a motorcycle were lost in the garage. The owner was using an electric air compressor with a vacuum to siphon gas from the motorcycle into a five gallon can. The gas overflowed onto the compressor and ignited. The fire was deemed accidental.
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Story by Capt. Don Delucia, PIO; photos by Investigator Pam Summers
Posted on April 22nd , 2010.

House Fire East of Pahokee

On Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at approximately 12:56 pm, units from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Stations 72 and 73 responded to a report of a house fire just east of the Pahokee city limits. Crews were met by heavy fire and flames coming from the front of the house. It took the crews just under 10 minutes to bring the fire under control. No one was inside of the house at the time of the fire, and no one was injured.

A nest of bees was swarming on one side of the house, but fortunately they did not hamper the firefighting efforts. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Investigations Bureau.

Units on scene: E72, R72, T72, E73, E73B, R73, DC7, EMS7, IV2

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Story and photos by EMS Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on April 22nd , 2010.

Annual Apparatus and Equipment Familiarization

On April 6, 2010, Station 17B crew, Captain Gerry, DO Bousquet and FF/PM Ryder hosted our yearly Fire Rescue Department apparatus and equipment familiarization with Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue, E63, R63, West Palm Beach Fire Department, E8, SQ6 and PBCFR E17, B17. The crews had a chance to meet again, share new equipment, review equipment, tools and scba's, RIC bags used on respective apparatus..

The crews at Station 17 interact with our neighboring fire rescue departments as part of our automatic aid response on a daily basis. This yearly familiarization is a great way to keep us all updated with new equipment and procedures. Some interesting points to know that WPBFR and PBGFR uses 4" and 5" supply lines with stortz connections, 400' to 500' 21/2 Blitz lines, assortment of equipment extrication equipment, air bags, RIC Bags, K12 saws, and WPBFR has level 2 divers and scuba equipment on each Engine. It was a great experience by our crew to meet our fire rescue neighbors and we encourage other stations to meet your fire rescue department neighbors

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Story and photos by Captain Nick Gerry
Posted on April 6th , 2010.

Easter Extrication in Belle Glade

On Easter Sunday, units from the 7th Battalion, C-shift, responded to a reported motor vehicle accident in the Osceola Center. Upon arrival, two cars were observed in the intersection with moderate damage. Further investigation found that the driver of one of the cars would require extrication to be able to remove her without further injury.

Captain Dan Smith (E73B) had his crew performed a two door swing to accomplish the extrication. EMS7 W. Dillian was assigned to oversee patient care. Lt. Ayala and crew on R73 handled the patient care and monitoring during the extrication process. Units treated and transported a total of four patients to Lakeside Medical Center for further evaluation.

Units on scene; DC7, EMS7, E73B, R73, R74.
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Story and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on April 5th , 2010.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

On Saturday, March 13th, 2010, over 1000 firefighters from all over Florida, the Nation, Canada and Ireland joined ranks performing, displaying and marching in the 42nd Annual Delray Beach St. Patrick's Day Parade.

While Delray Beach Fire has been the fire service representation in this parade for decades, last year members of Palm Beach County Firefighter's Pipe and Drum Corps rallied 19 Florida fire-service agencies and approx 100 firefighters to bolster Delray Fire's marching ranks in the spirit of brotherhood. That was the start of something very special. The cheers from the crowd, numbering around 60,000, were stifling; the appreciation exuberant! This parade captured what many Americans grew up with: an annual home-town cultural gathering of all residents restoring a sense of stability, ownership and pride in their community and their Nation! While 2009 was a notable start, 2010 would prove to be OUTSTANDING!

The event organizers and the Mayor of Delray Beach recognized the crowd's reaction to last year's marching firefighters and a new initiative was proposed: make "Firefighter Appreciation" the new theme for their St Patrick's Day Parade.

This is a list of Impressive Stats on the 2010 parade.

Estimated parade attendees in 2009: 60,000
Estimated parade attendees in 2010: 85,000
Number of fire departments participating in 2009: 19
Number of fire departments participating in 2010: 47
Furthest South: Tavernier, Florida
Furthest North: Ontario, Canada
Furthest East: Dublin, Ireland
Furthest West: Sacramento, California
Number of firefighters participating in 2009: just over 100
Number of firefighters participating in 2010: over 1,000
Number of uniform firefighters that marched and participated: 700 plus
Number of non uniformed firefighters that attended (not marching): 300 plus

While it's a fact that this was the largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in Delray's history, our goal is to transform this parade into the largest ever Fire-Service-Themed Southeastern United States St. Patrick's Day Parade. We can only imagine what 2011 has in store.

The Palm Beach County Firefighter's Pipe and Drum Corps would like to thank everyone that contributed and participated in this year's parade. If you're interested in joining the band, please contact any of the band members. See you at the:

43rd Annual Delray Beach "Firefightin' Irish" St. Patrick's Day Parade

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Story by District Chief Sam Eaton
Posted on March 23rd , 2010.

House Fire in Canal Point

On Wednesday, March 10, 2010, at approximately 2:06 am, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Stations 72 and 73 responded to a report of a house on fire on 3rd Street in Canal Point. Crews arrived to find fire and smoke coming from the rear of the house.

Thanks to the rapid intervention of the firefighting crews, they were able to confine the fire to the room of origin, and in the process a family pet, a bird that has been with the family for many years, was rescued alive. No one was injured in the fire.

The cause of the fire is believed to be electrical in nature, but the exact cause is being investigated by the Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Investigations Bureau.

Units on scene: E72, E73, E73B, R72, R73B, T72, DC7, EMS7

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Story by Captain Craig Prusansky, photo by Ed Torres
Posted on March 15th , 2010.

Apartment Fire in Battalion 5 Injures Two

Two people were transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation early Tuesday afternoon after their apartment went up in flames. At 1:30pm Engine Company 55 was dispatched to an unknown medical in the vicinity of Remsen Terrace and Somerset Drive in the Kensington Walk Community. As Engine 55 approached the area less than 2 blocks from the firehouse, heavy smoke filled the street leading to the neighborhood. Crews quickly upgraded the call to a working fire and followed the smoke condition to 21943 Remsen Terrace. Engine 55 reported heavy smoke showing from a first floor unit of a 2-story occupied apartment building.

As crews suited up preparing to stretch in, Driver Operator Ed Kilian spotted a semi-conscious female lying in the doorway of the burning apartment. Kilian made the grab carrying the victim to the parking lot in front of the building. He then quickly placed the victim on oxygen and returned the engine to operate the pump panel. Engine 55 made entry under high heat, zero visibility, extinguishing the fire within 10 minutes. A second victim suffered smoke inhalation while attempting to enter the apartment behind firefighters looking for two cats. Both cats were found dead by firefighters searching the apartment. The fire was contained to one apartment and is currently under investigation.

Units on scene included: E55, E53, E51, Q57, R55, R57, R56, EMS5, DC5, BC5, IV5

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Story and photos by Captain Sean Pamplona
Posted on March 15th , 2010.

Special Operatios Reviews Construction Sites

On Monday March 8th (C-Shift) units from Special Operations met with DC's C. Rice and G. Burroughs (DC7) at the construction site of 3 new pump houses being built for the South Florida Water Management District. The new pump houses are located on the east side of US Hwy 27 at MM50, MM56 and the third is 4 miles east of US 27 at the MM50. This will put the response time for the first in units from ST74 at 20 minutes or more.

Baker Concrete Contractors who are doing all the concrete work for the three sites simultaneously, requested Fire Rescue to visit to discuss concerns in the event of an injury to one of their workers at any of the three sites. The majority of their work will be below grade and involves the creation of some confined spaces in the process. Crews reviewed blue prints and visited the 3 sites along with a walk through of an existing pump house that is similar in construction.

All parties agreed the visit was worthwhile and will make for a smooth operation in the event of a request of our services at any of the sites. Now that construction has begun, Station 74 will be making visits to these remote construction sites to better prepare them for any unforeseen events.

On Site: DC9, E34, R34, DC7

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Story and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on March 10th , 2010.

PBCFR Investigator Farill Wins Prestigious Award

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Fire Investigator, John Farill, is the 2009 recipient of the Investigator of the Year Award from the Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association.
John has been with the Department since January of 2002. Prior to that he was a Gulf Breeze, FL police officer and also did a stint with the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. He has a degree in Fire Science and remains a certified law enforcement officer. In addition to all this, Investigator Farill, while a member of the Florida Army National Guard, was deployed for a year to the Asadabad Forward Operating Base in Kunar Province, Afganistan.

John was selected as this year's winner for numerous accomplishments: He teaches PBCFR's Juvenile Fire Starter Program, volunteers his time and talents with Habitat for Humanity, volunteered his time to be involved with the construction of a training burn "apartment" attached to the burn building and constantly stays current with continuing education. His biggest arson case last year involved an intentionally set fire at a gym in Royal Palm Beach. Using his investigative talents, Farill uncovered evidence pointing to extortion and insurance fraud. The criminal act eventually involved the ATF, the PBSO Bomb and Arson Squad and the US Attorney's office. Indictments from this case stretched from Miami to New York.

John is a team player in a group of six award winning Palm Beach County Fire Rescue investigators that have achieved considerable acclaim for having one of the highest conviction rates in the country.

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Posted on March 5th , 2010.

2009 Annual Awards Event

On Saturday, February 27, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue held its annual awards ceremony and did it in a rather unique way. Prior to the ceremony, members of Fire Rescue Administration prepared a terrific pancake breakfast which included sausage, bacon, fruit, pastries and of course, pancakes and syrup. The home cooked meal was a great and inexpensive way to start this year's ceremony which rewarded and gave recognition to those who went above and beyond their normal duties as a Fire Rescue employee. Among those who received awards were:

Maltese Cross - Capt. Edwin O'Berry Blum Desravins
Call of the Year - Shooting Incident at Station 31
Unit Commendation - Carbon Monoxide Incident on May 31, 2009 (Inc. #09-46258)
Unit Commendation - Multiple Vehicle Accident on Florida Turnpike on October 17, 2008 (Inc. #08-84295)
Unit Commendation - Trauma Call on September 27, 2009 (inc. #09-79761)
Unit Commendation - Coast Guard Incident on May 13, 2009 (awarded to Dispatch Staff)
Unit Commendation - Confine Space/Trench Incident on December 1, 2008 (Inc. #08-97282)
Unit Commendation - Payroll staff
Exceptional Service Award - Capt. Craig Prusansky, Capt. Joseph Pete McFrane, DO Donald How, PBCFR Pipes and Drums, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Honor Guard, Driver Operator Jeffrey Smith, DO Hugo Matos, Fire Medic Gregory Roberson
Customer Service Award - DO Thomas Clinger
Fire Marshall's Award - Fire Safety Specialist Christopher Finkley
Communicator of the Year - Steven Sabo, Jr.
Chief Officer of the Year - District Chief David Gadberry
EMS Officer of the Year - Lt. Kyle Ventry
Operational Officer of the Year - Capt. Stephen O.Sullivan
Paramedic of the Year - Eric Maher
Driver Operator of the Year - Brian Rush
Support Staff - Fiscal Specialist III - Wendi Mason

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Story by Captain Don Delucia, PIO; photos by PBCFR Video Department
Posted on March 1st , 2010.

Fully Involved Car Fire in Pahokee

On Friday, February 26, 2010 at approximately 7:16 pm crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 72 responded to a reported car fire in the south end of Pahokee. Crews arrived to find a single car fully engulfed in fire. Crews were able to rapidly extinguish the flames, but the car was destroyed. No one was injured in the fire.

The fire is under investigation by the Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Investigation Bureau and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Units on scene: E72, R72, T72, EMS7

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Story and photos by EMS Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on March 1st , 2010.

B-Shift Pub-Ed in Belle Glade

Capt. Fote, DO Hugo Matos, FF Trish Lilley, and FF Steve Morzella entertained a family at a birthday party in Belle Glade on Saturday, February 20th. The kids were shown the fire apparatus and then allowed to squirt some water from the booster line.

The kids loved it, which would have been good enough. But what topped the event was the adults were allowed, with assistance, to man the "trash line" on the engine. The adults were impressed with the crews and one of the attendees, a Pratt & Whitney employee, was even more impressed that we would take the time to do this for the community. The "fifty-ish" gentleman said that even though he watched fire trucks go by every day, he had never been that close to one.

Way to go E73B crew!

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Story and photos by District Chief Gary Burroughs
Posted on March 1st , 2010.

Airplane Alert at North County Airport

A single engine aircraft had a front landing gear issue last week as it approached the North County airport. The pilot was able to land the plane but was unable to prevent damage to the front end of the aircraft. Neither the pilot not the passenger were injured.

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Story by Captain Don Delucia, PIO, photos by Captain John Boike
Posted on February 24th , 2010.

Early Morning Head-on Collision in Pahokee.

On January 29, 2010, at approximately 0630 hrs, E72 and R72 were called to a vehicle accident. During response, reports of serious injuries and a fatality were given by PBSO on scene. Based on this additional information, the call was upgraded, adding Trauma Hawk, DC7, EMS7, E73, R73, R73B and T72. On arrival, Capt. Paccione and his crew found a 2 car head-on collision with severe damage. A quick assessment determined one deceased patient and 2 critical trauma alerts. E72 crew members FF/PM D. Fortunato and D/O J. Bush along with R72 EMT Whitmore initiated extrication on the green vehicle. Due to the extent of the damage, the driver's door had to be removed and the dash rolled to free the patient. The second trauma alert was stabilized by R72 Lt. A. Faso and PM T. Dichard until additional resources assisted with extrication. Both trauma alerts were extricated prior to the 10 minute benchmark. Trauma Hawk landed within a 100 yards of the scene on Muck City Road. The trauma alerts were quickly treated and turned over to TH for a rapid flight from Pahokee to the closest trauma center.

In Pahokee, next-due units can be up to 15-20 minutes out because of their distance. Station 73 units arrived as quickly as they could and assisted with patient care. Both trauma alerts were flown to the nearest trauma center. Sadly, one of the trauma alerts passed away enroute. On a positive note, the trauma patient in the green vehicle survived and is still alive today thanks to the quick, efficient and well trained crews in Battalion 7.

Units on scene: Trauma Hawk, DC7, EMS7, E72, R72, T72, E73, R73, and R73B.

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Story by Lt. Anthony Faso, R72-C
Posted on February 16th , 2010.

7th Battalion Trains in Vehicle Extrication

Recently, crews from Stations 72 & 73, C-Shift, did some training in vehicle extrication. The training focused on techniques used to remove entrapped patients from vehicles involved in rollover type vehicle crashes and those patients who may be trapped by the dashboard or steering wheel. Station 72 crews were also able to become familiar with specialized extrication equipment carried on E73B, including Kodiak vehicle stabilization struts. This specialized equipment is often requested at many vehicle accidents in "The Glades" region. Some extrication techniques that were practiced included standard door removal, "clam shell" technique, used in overturned vehicles, total roof removal, and steering wheel and dash board lifts. Crews also fine tuned their skills in vehicle stabilization utilizing both the Kodiak struts combined with conventional stabilization techniques using wood cribbing. The training was a great refresher for all involved and was part of our continued efforts to provide the absolute best treatment, care and service to those in need in our western communities!

Special thanks to E73B for providing assistance during the training and to Moss Towing for providing the vehicle and location to conduct our training!

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Story by FF/PM Troy Dichard, photos by FF/PM's Troy Dichard and Dean Fortunato
Posted on February 16th , 2010.

Residential Structure Fire in Jupiter Farms

Battalion 1 units responded to a residential structure fire on Mellon Lane in Jupiter Farms on Friday, February 12, at 0815 hours. Upon arrival, E14 found heavy smoke coming from the roof of a wood frame home. Tender 14 located a pond on a neighboring property and set up a water supply as E14 and R14 initiated fire attack and a primary search.

The fire had started in a laundry room with a poor dryer vent set up. The occupant had started the dryer about an hour and a half prior to the fire being noticed. Units on scene included E14, E19, E16, T14, SO19, Q65, R14, R16, EMS1, DC1, BC1 and LA61

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Story and photos by Battalion Chief Mike Wells
Posted on February 12th , 2010.

Motor Vehicle Crash in Belle Glade

On February 10, 2010, at approximately 10:36 am, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 73 responded to a report of a vehicle crash near downtown Belle Glade. Units arrived to find a two-vehicle crash with heavy damage sustained to one of the vehicles.

One of the patients was airlifted to the trauma center via TraumaHawk, and the others were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Palm Beach County Sheriff Office.

Units on scene: R73B, R74, E73, DC7, EMS7

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Story by EMS Capt. Craig Prusansky, photos by District Chief Gary Burroughs and EMS Capt. Craig Prusansky
Posted on February 11th , 2010.

Trench Rescue Training

Early February Special Operations 34 "A" shift practiced some trench rescue skills in Western Boca Raton. Team members spent the day shoring up a live trench with equipment carried on Special Operations 34 and tactical 34.

The road and bridges department supported fire rescue's efforts by digging the trench. Station 57 came in on the training and provided an elevated high point anchor for a retrieval system for moving the rescuer and equipment out of the trench. Station 58 also came by and provided some assistance in cleaning the equipment and putting the equipment back in service, their assistance was greatly appreciated.
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Story and photos by Captain Houston Park
Posted on February 11th , 2010.

PBCFR Personnel Return from Haiti Deployment

Monday January 25 was a great homecoming day for Battalion Chief Mark Anderson and F/M Steve Driscoll. After spending nearly two weeks in the worst possible conditions in earthquake-torn Haiti, they both were glad to be back on "firm" ground in the good ole USA. Chief Jerauld, Chief St. Pierre and Jack and Sergio from video went to Miami airport to greet our Florida USAR team members. They will undergo physicals and critical Incident Stress Debriefing during their first week back.
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Story by Captain Don Delucia, PIO, photos by Jack Norris and Sergio Ornelas
Posted on January 28th , 2010.

Glades Day School and Station 73 Help in Haiti Relief Effort

The elementary school children at Glades Day School wanted to help out with the relief effort for the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. So, they collected about 100 one-gallon jugs of drinking water, among other items, decorated them with messages of encouragement, and donated them to be sent over to Haiti. Knowing that the local firefighters would be willing to help, they then contacted Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 73 to assist them in transporting the items over to the local drop-off site.

On January 26th, 2010, a team of firefighters from Station 73 arrived at the school with their fire engine and a van. The children formed a line and handed the firefighters the water they had collected. After all of the items were loaded in the van, the firefighters brought it to the collection site at the St. John's First Baptist Church in Belle Glade, where it was gladly accepted.

These items should be making their way to Haiti within the next week.

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Story and photos by EMS Capt. Craig Prusansky
Posted on January 28th , 2010.

11 Patient MCI in Belle Glade

On Wednesday, January 20, 2010, at about 6:05 pm, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue stations 72 and 73 responded to a car vs. Palm-Tran bus crash in the Northwest section of Belle Glade. Crews arrived to find a total of 11 patients. After a triage of the patients was done by the crews, they were all transported to a local hospital, and most of the injuries were minor.

The crash is under investigation by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Units on scene: E73B, R73, R73B, R72, DC7, EMS7.

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Story and photos by EMS Capt. Craig Prusansky
Posted on January 26th , 2010.

Station 72 C-Shift Training

Station 72 C Shifts's training was geared to welcome our new unit attached engine medic Dean Fortunato to our shift. We ran the 1410 drill mid morning for our daily fire training. The crew familiarized Dean with 5� LDH, which is carried by all units in the Glades. The drill went very well and Dean and crew did an excellent job. Participating in the drill were E72, R72 and T72.

After our drill we did a bunker gear circuit to finish up our PT. Average day at station 72.

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Story and photos by Bud McCarroll
Posted on January 26th , 2010.

House Fire in Royal Palm Beach

Units from stations 28,21, 29, 30 responded to a working fire on Starling Avenue on Friday, January 22, 2010.

Personnel arrived and found flames shooting out of the garage and a portion of the roof as they were fanned by 20knot winds. Due to an aggressive fire attack by the crews the fire was contained and extinguished with minimal extension into the residence or the B side exposure. A malfunctioning fire hydrant a few hundred feet away created additional challenges which fire crews were able to overcome. The fire is still under investigation. No injuries were reported.

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Posted on January 26th , 2010.

Fire Rescue Helps Spread Holiday Spirit in Belle Glade

The Joseph family in Belle Glade was pleasantly surprised this holiday season. Their son is a "special needs" student that was attending therapy treatment during school via the Palm Beach County School Board Exceptional Student Education (ESE) department in the western communities. The group of therapists had realized how poor this child and his family were. This group decided to collect basic essentials to help this student and his family out.

The wife of Capt. Robert Schmidt from Battalion 5 works with these therapists, and sent out an e-mail explaining what was happening in Belle Glade with this student. His daughter's travel team, the "Wellington Wild", collects toys for the holidays and responded by bringing food and toys for this family accompanied by a team photo. In addition, Capt. Schmidt was able to get a tree donated to the family via some friends at B-X-Specialty Christmas Tree and a couple of strings of lights were donated as well.

The only issue was that Capt. Schmidt was not able to get the tree out to Belle Glade. This is where Fire-Rescue stepped in.

The tree was picked up by the EMS Captain at the edge of Battalion 7's zone (at 20-mile bend) and brought to the residence. The crew from Station 73 "B" shift showed up and set up the tree for the family. The family was ecstatic that they had a tree in time for Christmas.

One family's holiday is going to be a little bit better thanks to the help of the following:

Palm Beach County School Board Exceptional Student Education Division Wellington Wild Travel Softball Team Capt. Robert Schmidt EMS Capt. Ken Sehres The crew of Station 73 "B" Shift

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Story and photos by EMS Capt. Craig Prusansky
Posted on January 4th , 2010.

Rollover Crash East of Belle Glade

On December 24, 2009 at around 9:44 pm units from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 73 were dispatched to a reported rollover car crash on State Road 80 about 20 miles east of Belle Glade. Units arrived to find a single vehicle on its side with the driver still inside. The driver was not injured, but was trapped inside of the vehicle due to her seat belt being stuck.

The crews stabilized the vehicle, climbed in to cut the seat belt, and assisted the driver out of the vehicle. The crash is being investigated by Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

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Story and photos by Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on January 4th , 2010.

Christmas Gifts for Panda House

On December 23rd, members of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, Station 73, C-Shift in Belle Glade helped Santa with an early delivery. Engine 73 and the crews delivered toys for the children at the PANDA house. The PANDA program is a community outreach program for women of the Glades. The firefighters wanted to make sure the kids had some toys for the Christmas holiday. After delivering the toys the kids and their moms came out front to take pictures with the fire engine and firefighters.

While working on the QAS for this structure Lt. Juan Batista found out that the women's kids live at the facility with them during their stay. It was apparent to Lt Batista that the gift portion of the Christmas holiday was not going to be a good experience for the children. He explained the situation to the firefighters at 73C who took care of getting toys for the kids. Thanks to Lt Batista and the members of 73C, the kids had a very merry Christmas.
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Story and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on January 4th , 2010.

Station 73 Thanks Their Neighbor

On December 20th, members of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Station 73, in Belle Glade presented to Clarice and Ollice Davis of Belle Glade a Plaque and gift certificate for their support with training of the firefighters protecting the Glades area. The Davises, both teachers in the area are well aware of the benefits of a good training.

Over the past half year firefighters from the fire stations protecting the Tri-cities of Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay have had the opportunity to use an old house for fire related training that was owned by the Davises. The house had been damaged by recent hurricanes. While waiting to have the house torn down it was made available to the fire department.

Some types of training were; forcible entry, Search and rescue and hose management. Firefighters were also able to practice bringing a victim as well as a firefighter out a window and down a ladder. The entire battalion was able to go through the NFA�s Mayday certification program using this structure.

The firefighters were grateful that the Davises helped them by providing an incredible opportunity to practice their trade. Should the need ever arise the men and women of the 7th Battalion are ready to repay the favor by putting their training into action to help the citizens of the Glades.

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Story and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on January 4th , 2010.

Pay Attention to Drowning Prevention in 2010

The Drowning Prevention Coalition of Palm Beach County and the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Volunteer Battalion have teamed up to increase awareness of Drowning Prevention in 2010. Events in 2010 include hosting a fundraising golf tournament in May to help the DPC expand its free swim program for underprivileged children. In addition, the Coalition and volunteers intends to increase its water safety educational programming in the Palm Beach County School District and further promote the importance of drowning prevention and water safety via area health and safety fairs.

The volunteers will also be using their boat to visit marinas and promote water safety. The Volunteer Battalion is pleased to be involved in this effort and is looking forward to getting more people to "Pay Attention to Drowning Prevention" in 2010.

Posted on December 14th , 2009.

Fire Rescue Adopts a Family for Christmas

On Monday night, December 21, Christmas season was a little brighter for our very own Rosa who does an exceptional job of keeping Headquarters neat and clean. Rosa has three daughters, Victoria 18 yrs old, Miranda 10 and Veronica 8. Her oldest daughter is working on a nursing career and will be leaving for UCF shortly. She was in dire need of a laptop. The other girls need bicycles and other items. Through the generous contributions of headquarters staff, the family�s wishes were fulfilled. The presents were given out at Station 34 that evening.
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Posted on December 23rd , 2009.

Breakfast With Santa and Palms West Kids Cancer Foundation

December 19th, 2009 marked the firefighter's second annual "Breakfast with Santa" event for the Palms West Kid's Cancer Foundation. FF Mike Adams co-coordinated the event which included members from Station 25-B shift as well as the Palm Beach County FOOLS organization. Gifts were purchased, donated and wrapped in time for Santa to deliver them off Ladder One. The breakfast was a huge success and a lot of sick kids were reminded of what a smile felt like on their precious face. One of the many touching moments of the morning was made when FF Mark Freesman removed the T shirt from his back after hearing of a request from one of the attending children. Kyle is a long time friend and his life battling cancer has left him confined to a wheelchair. His Christmas wish was to ride on the fire truck this year, however, his health has not allowed him to do it. His only request that morning was to have a firefighter shirt like the one Mark was wearing. The families of this close knit community were struck with emotion and so thankful for the firefighters this year!
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Posted on December 23rd , 2009.

Station 72 Brightens Burn Victim's Day

At the beginning of September, the crew from Station 72 A-Shift responded to an 11 month old child who had accidentally been burned with some scalding soup. The child was transported to the trauma center, after which he spent 3 weeks in the burn unit where he recovered from his burns. The crew at 72 wanted to do a little something to welcome the child home after his ordeal.

On November 24th, after he came back home, the crew stopped by to check on him at his home just outside of Pahokee. Along with them was a toy fire engine purchased by Firefighter/Paramedic Ed Torres. The fire engine was given to the boy as a gift, and he seemed to like it.

The friends and family were surprised and happy that our crews cared enough to check on the boy after everything he had been through.

Kudos go out to the crew of Rescue 72, �A� Shift.

Photo captions (left to right): Hershie Hobbs, Lt. Keith Reed, FF/PM Ed Torres.

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Story by EMS Capt. Craig Prusansky, photos courtesy of Rescue 72 �A� Shift
Posted on December 23rd , 2009.

Car vs. Tractor-Trailer Near Okeelanta

On Monday, December 21, 2009 at about 1:05 pm, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue stations 73 and 74 responded to a car vs. tractor-trailer crash on US Highway 27 in front of the Okeelanta Sugar Mill. The sugar mill's medical staff responded to the scene and provided aid until the paramedics arrived.

The driver of the truck was not injured, but two occupants of the car were taken to a local hospital, and the other was flown to the trauma center via TraumaHawk. The cause of the crash is under investigation by Florida Highway Patrol.

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Story and photos by EMS Capt. Craig Prusansky
Posted on December 22nd , 2009.

Marine 970 Now in Service

On Saturday, December 19, the volunteers completed the refurbishment of their 21' Wahoo boat and have now made it available for calls. The boat originally belonged to the Pahokee Volunteers but was transferred to the County Volunteers when the Glades became part of the County Fire Rescue organization. The boat has a 200HP outboard motor, VHF and Marine Radio, GPS, AED, a deck gun and a handline as well as 3 dry chem extinguishers. It also houses a backboard and BLS kit.

The primary role of the boat will be in public education pertaining to drowning prevention and fire safety. We expect to visit a number of Marinas in 2010 for pub ed events. It will also be available to County Fire Rescue crews as needed in support of operations or special events. The boat is on a trailer and is housed at station 42.

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Posted on December 22nd , 2009.

Thanksgiving Day with Kid's Sanctuary

Lt. Delrossi and his wife, who is a Fire Safety Specialist "NICOLE DELROSSI" went above and beyond for the young children of a needy organization here in Batallion Two. Kid's Sanctuary is a nonprofitable housing system that provides a loving home environment while the children are awaiting selection into the foster care system here in Palm Beach County. Instead of a Foster Care boarding house, these kids live in a converted duplex type structure here in St28's area. Lt Delrossi has done many things for this organization throughout the years including several donations to the facility, gifts and toy deliveries every year at Christmas as well as a wonderful playground area that the guys all chipped in and built for the Kid's Sanctuary. This year, thanks to the partnership with several generous members of BOSS, the team of fire rescue folks purchased, prepared and delivered an amazing Thanksgiving Day feast, along with quality time spent with the firefighters including full truck tours by the crews. Thank you for stepping to the plate to mentor these young children of our community and for making Palm Beach County Fire Rescue very proud! Frequent Fire Miles are being awarded for going the extra mile!

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From the Customer Service Team
Posted on December 14th , 2009.

Fight For Air Stair Run

I would like to give you an update on Palm Beach County's outstanding performance at "The Fight For Air" stair run held this past weekend in down town West Palm Beach. The event was held to benefit The American Lung Association. The race consisted of a 444 step vertical climb to the top of the Phillips Point West Tower.There were both firefighter and open categories. Firefighters competed in full gear including SCBA.

Awards were given to the top 3 individuals in each category and the top 3 teams. Team times were formed by adding the 3 fastest members of each team together.

In the firefighter division, our 4 man team swept the field of 35 competitors with Lee Bronco taking 1st in 2:22, Isaac Laing 2nd 2:46, Jacques Aime 3rd 2:54 and Ed Delcampo a very impressive 11th in 4:20. The team time was nearly 3 minutes faster than 2nd place West Palm Beach and their 26 member team. Our team was so strong that I felt they did not need my help, so I chose to represent us in the open category taking 3rd out of over 100 in a time 0f 1:53.

More important than our performance was that our team raised 500 dollars for this most important cause. In attendance but not competing was our very own James Howard, who over the last couple of years has been battling with cancer in his lung. His presence was of strong motivation and we look forward to next year when he can run with us. We ran in support of him this year. Over all, the event was a huge success and I hope next year we can enter multiple Palm Beach County teams.

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Story and photos by Ed Kranski
Posted on December 1st , 2009.

2009 Firefighter Combat Challenge Finals - Las Vegas, NV

Firefighters from all over the United States and the world competed in the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge 2009 World Finals held in Las Vegas, Nevada. These firefighters competed in the preliminaries which ran from Monday, November 16th, through Wednesday, November 18th. Members from our team had to compete multiple times to qualify for the finals which were held on Thursday and Friday, November 19th and 20th.

The team consisted of members from Local 2928, as well as the cities of Delray Beach, Riviera Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, and Boca Raton.

"Team Mutual Aid", consisting of Jason Martino and Mackenzie Briggs of Local 2928, Tommie Osborne of Delray Beach, and Brett Lee and Warren Cann of Boca Raton. The team finished 12th overall with a time of 5 minutes, 6.18 seconds.

In the Male Tandem event, Jason Martino and Mackenzie Briggs of Local 2928 finished 7th overall with a time of 1 minute, 20.02 seconds. In the Co-ed Tandem event, Jason Martino and Melissa Jones of Local 2928 qualified but did not make the finals.

In the Relay event, Jason Martino, Mackenzie Briggs, Tommie Osborne, Brett Lee, and Warren Cann finished in the final top 16. In the Over 40 Relay event, Brett Lee, Scott Steel, Tommie Osborne, and John Morrow qualified but did not make the finals.

Local 2928 highlights of the individual run:
Melissa Jones ran her personnel record of 4 minutes, 30 seconds.
Jason Martino ran his personnel record of 1 minute, 43 seconds.
Mackenzie Briggs ran his personnel record of 1 minute, 31.14 seconds, beating some of the fastest people in the sport and having the fastest time in Florida. He was ranked 6th out of 132 in the final standings.

Great job to these individuals who competed and placed as well as they did!

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Story by Capt. Craig Prusansky, photos by Mackenzie Briggs and Jason Martino
Posted on December 1st , 2009.

Station 32: The Reconstruction (Part 3)

Progress is moving along quite well over at the "32 House". The second floor is poured, the second floor walls are up, next will be the roof trussess and the roof. Everything looks to be going as planned, however we did notice a change to the plans. Nope, no addition of a pole... The second story balcony/patio has been removed, we've been told that its been blocked in (CBS) and it will now house a 5x7 window instead of an actual patio. There is a proof of the stucco pattern on the delta side of the structure, however the pictures didn't come out clear. It is a nice pattern, it's a tight stucco pattern. There were three styles of stucco patterns to choose from, wide stucco, medium stucco , and tight stucco patterns. Don't know who chose the pattern, but it looks great we're pleased with it. Thats all for now, more pics will come soon. We heard the roof is going up within the next couple of weeks. Until then be good be safe.

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Story and photos by Drew Craig, E32-B
Posted on December 1st , 2009.

Captain Doug McGlynn Receives Firefighter of the Year Award

Our very own Captain Doug McGlynn, Battalion 9A, recently received the Firefighter of the Year Award from the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches. Doug was the employee of the year with Fire Rescue last year and more than deserved this year�s honor for his untiring work with customer service, training and numerous other special projects. Our congratulations go out to Captain McGlynn.

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Story and photos by Captain Don Delucia, PIO
Posted on November 25th , 2009.

Crop Duster Concerns on C-Shift

On November 17th, Station 72, was called to respond to two PBSO Deputies who were on patrol when a crop duster flew overhead and released an unknown substance on top of them. Fortunately the deputies were inside their units when the fly over occurred. DC9 and Special Operations 34 were consulted to determine the best course of action.

The product was determined to be a non-toxic fungicide. DC9 recommended that the SO cruisers be de-contaminated. E72 crew applied water and foam to breakdown the fungicide. The Deputies were directed to take a shower and wash their uniforms before returning to patrol.

Units involved, E72, R72, T72, DC7, DC9, E34, Special Operations 34.

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Story and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on November 23rd , 2009.

Roll-over in Dead Mans Curve

Units from the 7th Battalion were paged out for a truck that had rolled over in the middle of Dead Man's Curve north of Hooker Highway on 441.

Upon arrival Station 73 units found what had been a fully loaded dump truck on its side with a minor fuel leak. The truck was laying across the roadway, guardrail to guardrail, making it impossible for any units to get by. E73 initially used soil to build a dike and then absorbent rolls to contain any fluid. R73 transported the driver of the truck to an area hospital for further evaluation.

Units on scene- E73, R73, EMS7, DC7.

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Story and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on November 23rd , 2009.

Station 32: The Reconstruction (Part II)

Pictures of the progress of the construction of Station 32.

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Posted on October 1st , 2009.

PBCFR Provides Skid Control Training for North Lauderdale

North Lauderdale's Ladder 44 navigates on wet pavement through the EVOC course as part of a 6-hour re-certification curriculum being held at PBCFR. All members of the North Lauderdale Fire Department will be attending the training during November which consists of 3-hours of classroom instruction, 1 1/2-hours on the driving simulator and 1 1/2-hours on the driving range. Similar skid control training is planned as on-duty training for PBCFR in early 2010.

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Story and photos by Captain Doug Watson, Training and Safety Division
Posted on November 18th , 2009.

Crash in Fog on US 27 Near Okeelanta

At 5:22 am on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 74 responded to a reported crash involving 2 semi-trucks and a minivan, in front of the Okeelanta Sugar Mill. Crews arrived to find a minivan pinned between the two trucks. Fortunately, the driver of the minivan was able to remove himself from the van before the crews arrived.

One person was taken to a local hospital. The crash is under investigation by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

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Story and photos by Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on November 18th , 2009.

Crews from Station 31 Receive PBSO Honors

On Friday, November 13, members of two crews from Station 31 received awards at the Annual Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Awards luncheon held at the Kravis Center. Captain Ed O'Berry received the Combat Cross for his heroic effort in saving the life of a police officer (the first civilian, non-law enforcement type to ever receive one). The other PBCFR individuals received the PBSO Samaritan Award. Over 750 people were in attendance and the local media covered the event. Captain O'Berry received a standing ovation.

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Story and photos by Captain Don Delucia, PIO
Posted on November 16th , 2009.

3 Semi-tractor Trailer Signal 4 in the 7th Battalion

On October 27th, units from the 7th Battalion were dispatched to a reported motor vehicle accident involving 3 big rigs. The location of the accident was at the Martin/Palm Beach county line on US Hwy 441, a long distance from the nearest station.

E72 with Capt. Jennifer Johnson was first to arrive. Arrival report indicated two semi-tractor trailers and one low-boy were involved. All hands were busy until units from Station 73 arrived. One person was trapped and required extrication. Two of the trucks suffered heavy damage and the low-boy was reported to have had its trailer thrown through the air, landing in a construction parking lot. The truck without the driver trapped also had a small engine compartment fire shortly after initial arrival of units. One saddle tank was torn off a truck and another was ripped open.

Command was established, a protective hoseline pulled, scene and patient evaluation initiated and extrication was begun by Station 72 personnel. Trauma Hawk arrived and determined its best LZ was on top of the Levee just north of the incident. Units from Station 73 along with command staff arrived to assist units on scene. One person was airlifted to the regional trauma center.

Units on scene, E72, R72, T72, E73B, R73, DC7, EMS7, TH1.

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Story and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on November 13th , 2009.

New District Chief Vehicle for Battalion 7

The 7th Battalion "The Glades" took delivery of their new District Chief's vehicle last month. Realizing things are different in the west and off road trips are common, Battalion Chief Michael Arena decided to go with something more suited for the cane fields and rural roads than the standard Suburban. The answer was a 3/4 ton, Ford F250, 4 doors, 4 wheel drive.

The basic platform was selected as it has increased ground clearance and load carrying capabilities. It better accommodates off road operations and towing of the various vehicles that may be used out west, such as Airboat 73 or the Mule for search and rescue in the Holey Lands.

Shop Mechanic John Vasko was responsible for putting the whole package together. The three DC's worked on the basic layout that they felt would allow maximum use of the space available. John was invaluable in making suggesting that allowed the DC's ideas to work much better. He prefabricated the top shelf which doubled the storage capacity and features a backboard storage area for MCI's.

By selecting a pickup instead of the Suburban, we were given more options. There is no longer any equipment or contaminated gear stored inside the cab. There are no storage compartments that open into the cab requiring gear to be moved to gain access. People can be transported in each seat. The rear seat area can be utilized for a command center when a controlled environment is required. All the gear that the DC carries is now easily accessible from the two side doors on the topper. A white Plexiglas sheet was installed on the inside of the rear tailgate. This allows it to be used as a huge command board or a platform for maps when Airboat 73 is deployed.

The truck features additional LED emergency lights, PIAA fog lights, a Rumbler siren, a slide out tray in the bed and a 9,000 lb winch. Due to the potential for MCI's and extreme response times with limited backup, the top deck has a special compartment to transport disposable backboards. It is a welcome addition to the Tri-cities area.

(Please visit our website at the link below to view pictures associated with this article.)
Story and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on November 13th , 2009.

2009 Golden Palm Award Nomination for Captain Craig Prusansky

Captain Prusansky has been with Palm Beach County since 1991 and has been in the Glades since 2007. He presently serves as an EMS Captain overseeing the paramedics on his shift for the Glades response area.

As is typical of him Captain Prusansky always takes on additional work not necessarily related with his primary job functions. He is a key person in the Battalion 7 Hurricane/Disaster planning staff. He organized the Command staff and set up a communication process which routinely keeps everyone in the communication loop when a storm is possibly threatening Palm Beach County. He maintains this 24/7 even when he is off duty. I could go on describing all of the additional duties and responsibilities he has taken on but I would like to highlight the addressing project he is working on.

His most recent and notable accomplishment has received recognition in the entire Glades community, local media and recognition from other county departments. He took it upon himself to correct incorrect addresses in the Glades. This is a tremendous undertaking since emergency calls were delayed because of improper addresses.

He started out by working with the GIS folks in improving the maps; this quickly evolved in is attendance of several home owners meetings and involvement with the GTAC (Glades Technical Advisory Committee) which is coordinated through the OCR (Office of Community Revitalization). He has received several public accolades in meetings from Mr. Houston Tate and his office, the Canal Point Community, The Palm Beach Post, The Sons of the American Revolution and the Palm Beach Sheriff's office.

He took it upon himself to personally visit every residence in the Canal point and Lake Harbor areas and one by one is correcting their addresses. He has even been working with the United States Post office.

The bulk of this effort has been on his own time and utilizing his worn resources. Several news stories have been done in the Glades and I have attached a packet illustrating an example of some of his efforts.

In fact he maintains a website for people to contact him in order to continue this project for all of the Glades. The site is http://can911findyou.kkpss.info

Captain Prusansky is a go to person and truly deserving of this recognition and consistently goes the extra mile to benefit the Citizens and employees of Palm Beach County.

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Battalion Chief Michael Arena
Posted on November 10th , 2009.

Busy Weekend for the Honor Guard and the Pipe and Drum Band

On Saturday Nov 7, the honor guard and Pipe Band presented colors on the track at the Palm Beach Kennel Club for the kick off of South Florida Fire Fest. That night the band split and half went to play at Slaintes for the after burner party for Fire Fest. The rest of the band were the guests of the United States Marine Corps. 4th ANGLICO. The band played at the USMC 2009 Birthday Ball celebrating 234 years of the USMC. PBCFR's own Tony Acosta and Lee Bronco were in attendance also.

The band than went and played at the Combat Challenge Teams fundraiser in PB Gardens. On Sunday, Nov. 8. both groups went and marched in the Veterans Day parade down Clematis St. in West Palm Beach. Special thanks to the Black Pearl , Browards Bravest Pipes and Drums and Engine 24 "C" for the help over the weekend.

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Posted on November 10th , 2009.

Funhouse Fright Night

Halloween night was extra special for the Amberwoods neighborhood just east of Station No. 55. A-shift personnel decided to take it to the streets and hand-out treats making it a night to remember. Getting into the spirit of things, our very own FF Kevin Loaiza was transformed into the "Tin Man" due to the creative efforts of PM Dominick Potenzano. This Tin Man proved to have a big heart handing out treats to nearly 100 neighborhood revelers.

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Story and photos by Captain Sean Pamplona
Posted on November 9th , 2009.

Operation Trick or Treat: Halloween '09

Station 32 went out on Halloween night and gave out candy in two of our local neighborhoods. Both engine and rescue had a great time. The children liked getting the candy and the parents were absolutely amazed at what we were doing. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. They liked it a lot!!!! I hope that we get some good feedback from this. We had a great time doing it and are thinking about making it an annual thing to do ,for the station. We went to the neighborhoods of Florida Gardens and Palm Beach National and ran out of candy after only two streets in Fla. Gardens. Next time we'll have more candy.

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Story and photos by Captain Kevin Kimberly
Posted on November 3rd , 2009.

PBCFR Basketball Team Wins Gold in National Firefighter Games

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Basketball Team won the gold medal in the National Firefighter Games this past weekend (Oct 31 / Nov 1) for the second consecutive year. During the games, we beat the likes of Orlando Fire Rescue, West Palm Fire Rescue and former reigning champs Metro Dade fire rescue- twice to bring 'home' the Gold for back-to-back championships! There was a great display of support from PBCFR employees and family members during the tournament and happily- No Injuries! We are excited about this accomplishment and eager to win more in representation of Palm Beach County!

The team consists of Chad Snyder, Lee Bronco, Joe Bostic, Lamar McThay, Casey Maher, Ray Gordon, Pierre Simbert, John Mends and Coach Bryan Lancey. Congrats to all involved!!!!

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Story and photos from Joe Bostic
Posted on November 2nd , 2009.

Captain Roy Morgan Recognized as Belle Glade Chamber of Commerce's Firefighter of the Year

Captain Roy Morgan was on his way to work on the morning of September 1 and witnessed a vehicle roll over and go into the canal on State Road 80. The vehicle was going east bound and he was going west wound. He immediately turned around and went to help. The vehicle was well into the canal when Captain Morgan arrived at the canal bank. He pulled over to help and was assisted by another gentleman who also pulled over to help.

He immediately dove on the car several times in an attempt to remove the victim and was unable to break the glass. Keep in mind he had no special gear or dive equipment as he was in his personal car.

Obviously, this being in the vicinity of Hatton Highway and SR 80, it was a very long response for Fire Rescue Crews to get there. Capt Morgan worked tirelessly trying to free the person from the vehicle but was unable to. Capt. Morgan stayed in the water to assist and the vehicle was eventually pulled out by a PBSO truck winch and the victim was pulled out and Fire Rescue crews entered the water to assist with victim removal Rescue crews were able to provide emergency resuscitation efforts and pt was flown by Trauma Hawk to Delray Community Hospital.

Unfortunately the gentlemen (who was a PBSO employee) did not survive. It was not because of lack of effort on Fire Rescue's part. Many people drove by that morning but did not stop. The efforts by Captain Morgan were truly heroic and his recognition is indeed worthy of being the Belle Glade Chamber of Commerce Firefighter of the year!

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Story and photos by Battalion Chief Mike Arena
Posted on October 27th , 2009.

Florida Fallen Firefighter Memorial

The Florida Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service was held in Ocala on October 09, 2009, with the name of Lt. Raphael Vazquez being one of three added this year to the large blocks of black granite.

The permanent Fallen Firefighter Memorial is located in the courtyard of the Florida State Fire College in Ocala, and holds the names of Florida firefighters who have died in the line of duty. It is much like the IAFF memorial in Colorado Springs, and the National Firefighter Memorial in Emmittsburg Maryland, on the campus of the National Fire Academy. It is smaller in scale, but no less meaningful, nor does it have less of an impact on the families and firefighters who attend to honor the Fallen.

Members of the Honor Guard and Pipe and Drum Corps, as well as Chief Jerauld, Chief O'Bannon, Chaplain Jeremy Hurd, and Jack Norris, were there to represent PBCFR and to accompany and provide support to Ray's wife, Michelle, and their youngest son.

After the formal service at which Michelle was presented a flag and medallion in Ray's honor, we had a private meeting so that we could present to Michelle, the flag and other memorial items the Honor Guard and Pipe and Drum Corps accepted on her behalf at the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service in Emmittsburg in September.

Honor Guard Members Present:
Sean Pamplona, Commander
Steen Eriksson, Lt. Commander
Rick Gass
Pipe and Drum Corps Members Present:
John Fischer
Khristy Osment

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Story by Steen Eriksson, photos by Jack Norris
Posted on October 27th , 2009.

Palm Beach County, Martin County Automatic Aid Response

With the closing of station #11, automatic aid responses are now in effect with Martin County Fire-Rescue. MCFR will be covering the northernmost PBC pockets, and second-due with station #18 on southern Jupiter Island. Station #18 is second-due with MCFR in southern Martin County.

In preparation for this, MCFR stations #32, #33, and #36, as well as EMS and command staff, met with the crews of stations #18 and #15, and EMS1, DC1, and BC1 at station #18 to meet and learn about each other and the units and equipment.

All shifts had these meetings in September with the effective date being October 1, 2009. It gave us the opportunity to discuss the differences and similarities in our EMS and fire SOGs.

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Story and photos from Steen Eriksson
Posted on October 14th , 2009.

Honor Guard, Pipe and Drums Travel to 2009 National Fallen Firefighter Memorial

Recently, members of the Honor Guard and Pipes and Drums traveled to the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD for the 2009 National Fallen Firefighter Memorial. This year Lt. Rafeal "Ray" Vazquez received national memorial recognition. Our Honor Guard members received memorial honors on behalf of the Vazquez family. These honors were brought back to Palm Beach County and will be traveling up to Ocala, Florida accompanied by Honor Guard and Pipes and Drums on Friday, Oct 9th for the Florida Fallen Firefighter Memorial at the Florida State Fire College. There the honors will be presented to Michelle Vazques, the widow of Ray, and his children who will be in attendance.

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Story and photos from Captain Sean Pamplona
Posted on October 6th , 2009.

Fire Safety Month Demonstration at Home Depot

Photos from our participation with the Home Depot's Fire Safety Month demo at their store on Jog and Lantana Roads.

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Story and photos by Kevin Rao
Posted on October 5th , 2009.

Anthony Acosta Promoted to Chief Petty Officer

Chief Petty Officer is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, just above Petty Officer First Class and below Senior Chief Petty Officer, and is a senior non-commissioned officer. The Grade of Chief Petty Officer was established on April 1, 1893 for the Navy.

On Sept 18, 2009, our own Capt Anthony Acosta of Battalion 3-C shift joined the reanks of Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy. At a ceremony attended by fellow Sailors, Family and friends in Miami, Chief Acosta was promoted with 14 others. The fifteen newly promoted Chiefs were the only promoted among almost 1500 Sailors that are on active duty or reserve in South East Florida, not including Key West.

Among those pictured, attendees included Capt Larry Doelling 36-C and FF/PM J.R Scarso of Batt 7-B, Scarso also serves in the US Navy with Chief Acosta.

Unlike Petty Officer First Class and lower ranks, advancement to Chief Petty Officer not only carries requirements of time in service, superior evaluation scores, and specialty examinations, but also carries an added requirement of peer review. A Chief Petty Officer can only advance after review by a selection board of serving Senior and Master Chief Petty Officers, in effect "choosing their own" and conversely not choosing others.

Advancement into the Chief Petty Officer grades is the most significant promotion within the enlisted naval ranks. At the rank of Chief, the Sailor takes on more administrative duties. In the Navy, their uniform changes to reflect this change of duty, becoming identical to that of an officer's uniform except with different insignia. Sailors in the three Chief Petty Officer ranks also have conspicuous privileges such as separate dining and living areas. Any naval vessel of sufficient size has a room or rooms that are off-limits to anyone not a Chief (including officers) except by specific invitation.

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Posted on October 1st , 2009.

Structure Fire in Canal Point

At 10:44 pm on Monday, September 28, 2009, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue stations 72 and 73 responded to a residential structure fire in a house on the 12,000 block of Bryant Avenue in Canal Point. When crews arrived they found smoke and flames coming from the roof of the single-story house. No one was home at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries.

The crews were able to confine most of the fire to the attic. However, the entire house sustained significant smoke damage. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Fire Investigation Bureau, but it does not appear suspicious.

Units on scene: E72, E73, E73B, R72, R73B, DC7, EMS7, IV4

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Story and photos by EMS Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on September 30th , 2009.

Guardians of The Corridor ... Literally

The customer service team is pleased to recognize and reward the crew members of Station 31 for living up to their name as "Guardians of the Corridor". Crews from 31 House responded to a call to assist PBSO with an 18-month old female who wandered outside her home unnoticed and was attempting to cross Maleluca Ave when a passerby called 911. Upon arrival the crews were directed to attend to the pediatric which they did while PBSO was taking care of locating the parents or where the child even came from. Meanwhile the crews continued to keep the child in the air conditioned truck. The crews realized that the child would be much more comfortable if they set her up at the station with some age appropriate comfort items. You can only play with a "medical glove smiley face balloon" for so long.

The crews coordinated with PBSO to take the child back to the fire station instead of staging at the intersection. First they stopped and picked up groceries, snacks, a juice box/sippy cup, diapers, baby wipes and a stuffed animal toy from money that the crews contributed out of their own pocket. The crew made the 18mth old something to eat back at the firehouse as well as set up a comfortable bed/sitting area in the day room with blankets and a TV so she could watch the Disney Channel while law enforcement found Mom & Dad. PBSO did locate the parents 90 min later and there was a warm reunion between baby and parents. The family was so impressed at how compassionate the firefighters were with their child and especially how thoughtful they were while living up to their station logo as Guardians of the Corridor!

Thanks to all crew members involved. Not seen in this picture is DO Terrell Patterson despite how instrumental he was in accomplishing this Frequent Fire Mile. Mile Slips go to all involved: Cpt Dave Iman, DO Terrell Paterson, FM Scott Schanke, LT Andrew Lombardo, PM Melissa Jones, PM Chris Gray, Cpt George Springthorpe and DC Billy Schmidt

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Story and photos by Customer Service Team
Posted on September 29th , 2009.

Paying it Forward in Battalion 9

Another Wolfe Pack (and cougar) sighting was confirmed on Saturday, September 26, 2009. A very welcomed visit was received at Station 32 by Courtney Wolfe and her entire family. Courtney is the daughter of Captain Larry Wolfe (station officer of station 32B) who was recently diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (A.L.L). Her story and progress has been closely monitored by many in our department. Currently she is undergoing a 59 day chemotherapy session and blood transfusions (as necessary) on a daily/weekly basis.

Station 32 certainly holds the Wolfe family close to their hearts and wanted to extend a little something extra to their family. Courtney is one brave girl who is putting up a great fight which in turn still allows her to go into many public places even with the potential of being exposed to other risks. However, she spends a great amount of time at home resting and being home schooled when not receiving her treatments.

Recently, Station 32 was recognized as a top collector during the department's annual MDA boot drive. As a result, they had received one of the incentive prizes of a PlayStation 3 game console that was offered up to the different battalions. While such a prize is certainly a great incentive, the big picture is one that reveals that our efforts to go out and collect is one that comes from years of tradition and is an activity we do out of the pride of being firefighters and to uphold such a tradition. The crew(s) at Station 32 thought instead that this prize would be better suited as a gift to a teenage girl who would get more enjoyment out of it during her time of recovery and isolation at home. The gift, as well as a collection taken up by the crews so she could get herself a few of her favorite games, was very graciously and humbly received by this amazing young woman.

Coutney's visit to the station also brought another surprise: The veterinary office next door had received an after-hours call for assistance to treat a 200-pound cougar. The cougar arrived at the office via its owner/handler already sedated, however the office staff had requested our help and strength to move this very impressive animal into their surgical room. This opportunity allowed for a number of photo opts for Courtney, her family and the crew, as well as a very rare chance to be so up close to such an animal.

Kudos should also go out to Captain Pete Mcgrane of Station 47 with a very similar idea of "paying it forward". Station 47 also won the incentive prize for their battalion and expressed a challenge to the other winners to seek out those who would be more in need of such an item. We encourage others to do the same.

We will continue to track Courtney's progress and ask all to continue to keep the Wolfe family in your thoughts and prayers.

One final reminder, there is an upcoming benefit for Courtney on October 4th at 1:00 p.m. at the Gypsy's Horse in Wellington. Contact Lt. Tony Andrewson at Station 57/C for details.

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Story and photos by Station 32
Posted on September 29th , 2009.

House Fire in Suburban West Palm Beach

Units were dispatched to a fire in a single family home at 2136 Bonnie Dr in suburban West Palm Beach around 11:30 am on 9/24. On arrival they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the residence. A quick initial fire attack was started by the crews from Station 36 and additional help brought the fire under control. Fire in the attic created a good bit of additional labor. A good rotation process with the crews compensated for the overall heat and humidity.

Units on scene included E36, E33, E31, R36, EMS10, DC10, BC4, Q29, PI1, IV3, E24, R31, LA24.

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Story by photos by Captain Don Delucia, PIO
Posted on September 29th , 2009.

Structure Fire in Belle Glade

At 4:54 am on Wednesday, September 23, 2009, crews from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue stations 73 and 74 responded to a residential structure fire in a duplex on the 600 block of Southwest 2nd Street in Belle Glade. Crews were met by heavy fire and smoke coming from the structure. Steel grates over the windows initially hampered the firefighting efforts, but the crews were able to gain access and bring the fire under control in about 30 minutes.

All of the residents were able to escape the fire without injury. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Investigation Bureau.

Units on scene: E73, E73B, E74, R73, R73B, DC7, EMS7, IV3

(Please visit our website at the link below to view pictures associated with this article.)
Story by photos by Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on September 29th , 2009.

IAFF Memorial 2009 Colorado Springs

On September 19, 2009, members of PBCFR Honor Guard and Pipe and Drum Corps honored our fallen brother Lt. Tony Falzarano at the IAFF Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Lt. Falzarano was one of 122 LODD memorialized at this year's service by having their names inscribed in the black granite wall situated in Fallen Firefighter Memorial Park in the shadows of Pike's Peak.

An encased IAFF flag, and a memorial medallion from L2928 were presented to Tony's family by the Honor Guard while the PBCFR Department flag was dipped as a show of respect.

This honor was bestowed on all 122 firefighters and their families during the very moving ceremony, with approximately 800 Honor Guard and 300 Pipe and Drum members from the United States and Canada in attendance. It was the largest such group ever assembled.

The IAFF Fallen Firefighter Memorial takes place each year in September, and is one of those events that every firefighter who is a true firefighter at heart, should attend at least once in their career. There were hundreds of non-Honor Guard uniformed personnel as well. It helps to place things in perspective.

Honor Guard : Steen Eriksson, James Hernandez, Ron Macleod
Pipe and Drum Corps : Jon Ferguson, John Fischer, Lee Forshner, Ed Peek

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Story by Steen Eriksson
Posted on September 21st , 2009.

E28 A-Shift Rescues Two Kittens

E28 was called out for a public assist in Royal Palm Beach. While en route Dispatch updated the call to kittens trapped in the grill of a vehicle. Upon arrival E28 found a PBSO deputy on scene with a U.S. Postal Service truck.

The kittens were in the front grill behind the headlight of the mail truck with no way of getting to them without removing part of the front grill. With tools from E28, the crew and deputy were able to remove the bolts and pull the grill loose from the front left side and remove the kittens. In the process one kitten escaped and climbed back into the mail truck near the rear axle. Similar methods had to be used to remove the kitten for a second a time.

Both kittens were turned over to a women who was willing to find a home for them. The mail truck and its driver were left on scene awaiting a mechanic to put the truck back together and E28 and the deputy cleared the scene.

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Story by Ken Druggan
Posted on September 17th , 2009.

40-Hour First Responder Course

The Training & Safety Division completed their first 40-Hour First Responder Course. This course is a pre-requisite for the Firefighter I class starting in January. A total of 12 people completed the course offered on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

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Posted on September 15th , 2009.

Investigator Pam Summers Wins Prestigeous International Photo Award

Investigator Pam Summers entered the International Association of Arson Investigators photographic award competition. This award is given in two categories (Arson and Accidental) fire photography. The photos are judged on content, technique, and composition. This was her first time entering the contest and she won first place in the arson category. Her winning photo was published in the July 2009 Fire & Arson Investigator magazine and she was also awarded a plaque. This IAAI contest was open worldwide to all of its members.

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Story by Captain Don Delucia, photos by PBCFR Video Department
Posted on September 11th , 2009.

Lunch at Station 23 with Chief Brice

On Thursday, August 18th Station 23 � A shift welcomed Chief Herman Brice for lunch. Even though Chief Brice retired the week before, he was happy to come by the station, take a few pictures and have lunch with the crew.

Also in attendance were the Battalion Chief, District Chief and EMS Captain. The crew at station 23 cooked up a big lunch, and a good time was had by all. Chief Brice was caught saying "I remember these days, when we used to sit around the table for a good meal." The crew was very grateful to the Chief for everything he has done for the department, and wishes him and Mrs. Brice a great life after retirement.

Thank you to station 17 � A for covering the "Rock" while we were taking the photos.

Pictured in photo are:
Sitting: Captain Mike Ellis, District Chief Jim Gribble, Chief Brice, Battalion Chief Ron Beesley, Captain Matt Willhite
Standing: Firemedic Chris Gutierrez, Firemedic Dale Batten, Lieutenant Shawn Niedbalski, Lieutenant Dwayne Hodges, Firemedic Graeme Gilmour, Driver Operator John Wilson, Firemedic Victor Hernandez, Firemedic Doug Taylor

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Story by Matt Willhite, photos by Sergio Ornelas
Posted on September 3rd , 2009.

Station 32: The Reconstruction (Part I)

Station 32 was commissioned in 1975 as TPVFD (Trail Park Vol Fire Dept); dedicated to Fred G. Rankin for his services. Upon consolidation in 1984 Station 32, was acquired by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and is currently in Batt.9 and services unincorporated areas of Lake Worth.

In August of 2009 construction began on a completly new two-story station. The new 32 will be two stories, have 2 bays, a workout room, and will have ample space if 32 is upstaffed, (sorry, no more murphy bed) and sit directly behind the current location of St.32.

The new building is being constructed approximately 10 feet from the current building and crews will continue to work out of St.32 until the new building is complete. The new station will have drive-through bays and the exit driveway will run directly through St.32's current location. I have also been told by the contractor that the floors in the bays will be "floating floors" with a one inch control joist around the perimeter to minimize vibrations as the trucks come in and out of the station.

If you have ever been to St.32 then you have seen the property directly behind the station, this is where the parking area will be. It's been slow going, however the contractor says once the foundation sets and the exterior walls go up, construction will move along pretty quickly... We can only hope! Stop by 32 anytime to check the progress, I will be sending pictures periodically to document the progress.

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Story and photos by Drew Craig, E32-B
Posted on September 8th , 2009.

The Passing of the Bugle

Our Fire Chief for the last 25 years has retired. Chief Herman W. Brice decided it was time to enjoy life, family and friends without the daily stresses of running a large County department. His departure w as not without accolades and presentations.

When Chief Brice and newly appointed Chief Jerauld went to the County Commission chambers for the official ratification of Steve Jerauld's appointment as new Fire Administrator, our outgoing Chief was given a proclamation signed by all of the Commissioners honoring his 25 years of commendable service to the County and to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.

On Thursday August 27, a ceremony was held at Fire Rescue Headquarters. Traditionally, in the military, when command is changed, a formal "passing of command" ceremony is held. This tradition has been added to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and was accomplished with the assistance of our Honor Guard and Pipes and Drums. County Administrator Robert Weisman gave an opening address and the formal Bugle Trophy was passed from Chief to Chief.

To view a video of the County Commissioners' ratification of Chief Jerauld's appointment and the proclamation for Chief Brice, please click here. Another video of the actual Passing of the Bugle ceremony held at Fire Rescue Head Quarters can be found here. (NOTE: Both of these videos require RealPlayer.)

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Posted on August 31st , 2009.

Lunch with Chief Brice at Station 55

On Friday August 21, 2009 Chief Brice and his wife came to station 55 B shift for a farewell lunch. Chief and his wife were at the station for over three hours. We talked about old times (before Palm Beach County) and new ones ahead of the two of them. I told Chief he was going to have to come back for another party when we merge with Boca Raton Fire Rescue. He just laughed.

We found out he liked collecting and playing guitars. Of course we had one available for him to play. We enjoyed listening to him play a few songs. Thanks Chief sorry to put you on the spot. After the songs we all enjoyed an ice cream cake from Carvel.

Chief Brice, thanks for all the time you dedicated to this department over the last 25 years. If you are half as successful in retirement as you were in your career you have a lot to look forward to. Enjoy your time off.

Present at the lunch was: Justin Schainuck, Jeff Berry, Adam Neiheisel, Ana Novell, BC Todd Blake, DC Vince Cannuscio, Mike Baselice, Eric Harden, George Campa, Geoffrey Cooper and David Dugger.

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Story by Justin Schainuck, photos by Derek Wiley
Posted on September 3rd , 2009.

Small Aircraft Incident in Lantana

This is an aircraft incident that occurred on 08/29/2009. The aircraft is a Mustang 2 experimental aircraft. There were 2 people onboard with 26 gallons of fuel. The incident was ruled an aircraft accident by the FAA inspector on August 31, 2009. No injuries were reported.

Damage to the aircraft included wing damage, main gear damage and what appeared to be some structural damage to the aircraft fuselage. Also, a small fuel leak was found coming from the left wing. The aircraft came to rest at the edge of the lake. No fuel spilled into the lake.

This incident was an aborted take off due to mechanical issues. The incident is still under investigation by the FAA and NTSB.

Units on scene were DC 3, DC 8, DC 9, EMS 3, SPECIAL OPS 34, E 34, E 35, E 43, R 34, R 35, B 43.

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Story and photos by John Boike
Posted on September 1st , 2009.

Channel 5's Captain Julie Helps Locate Missing Fishermen

On July 25th, members of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBCFR), Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office (PBSO), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and WPTV Channel 5, worked together to locate and rescue two missing men who were on an alligator hunting trip on Lake Okeechobee. One of the men was reported as being a diabetic.

The boat captain's daughter found their truck and trailer parked at the Belle Glade marina and reported them missing. FWC was responding from Moore Haven with a 15 minute ETA. Airboat 73 was the first rescue boat on the water for this search.

E73B, Airboat 73, DC7 & EMS7 arrived at the marina. DC7 Curtis Rice established command while members of E73B prepped the airboat for deployment. The family was able to provide information that allowed FWC to determine where they might be hunting. The family gave a description of the airboat and confirmed we were looking for two men and the father was a diabetic.

Capt. Frank Cote (73A) who is also a licensed trapper for the state was contacted for his advice on where the best location to start the search might be. He provided this info to Command as well as Capt Dan Smith who would be operating airboat 73. It turned out that the area Capt. Cote selected was exactly where the missing men were found.

Now armed with a search plan Airboat 73 launched with Capt Dan Smith, FF Andy Kirchner and PBSO Lt. Mike Morris on board. As airboat 73 left the dock, FWC arrived.

At this point news channel 5's helicopter was circling overhead. Trauma Hawk was on the coast re-fueling as was PBSO's Eagle. DC7 contacted PIO Don Delucia to see if Helicopter 5 would help in the search. DC7 was put in touch with Channel 5's new room and provided info on what we were looking for as well as the most probable location. Within minutes Captain Julie reported that they had located the missing men. Airboat 73 and the FWC airboat were directed to their location. Both men were found to be in good condition standing on part of the airboat. Their airboat had overturned and sunk approximately 11 hours prior to the rescue. The men were transported to the dock, one on each airboat.

Units involved E73B, AB73, DC7, EMS7, PIO and Capt. Julie

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Story and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on August 28th , 2009.

Building Futures: Habitat for Humanity and PBCFR Employees

A group of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue employees got together once again for a "Labor of Love" - building affordable houses for deserving families. Working in the Kennedy Estates subdivision near the Town of Jupiter on a recent Saturday the five teamed up with other volunteers to aid Habitat for Humanity in their mission to wipe out substandard housing. The work they performed included constructing and installing the interior stud walls and installing the furring strips.

"This place is ready for the electrician now" said Randy Sheppard as he wiped the sweat from his forehead while cleaning up and calling it a day.

The houses on this street are not foreign to this group who pointed out the different ones they've worked on over the past months while enjoying the sight of hard working families now occupying them. John Harsch, another volunteer on the site shared this thought while looking at all the brightly painted new houses on the tree lined street: "It's a great feeling to know that you're making a lasting contribution."

Habitat for Humanity builds affordable housing all over the world and recently completed their 200,000th unit. They accept all types of support in their mission including volunteer help, monetary donations and they accept used furniture, building materials and vehicles for resale. If you want to help Habitat for Humanity call them at (561) 433-3351.

Although it was a hot day the team did enjoy working under the shade provided by the plywood roof installed just the day before.

Pictured from left to right are: John Harsch, Bob "Wheels" Grosbeck, Jack Norris, Randy Sheppard and Vicki Sheppard.

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Story and photos by John Norris
Posted on August 27th , 2009.

Little Smiles: Junk Food Run in July

Once again, in July the local fire service came out to assist on the JUNK FOOD RUN but this time it was St. Mary's Childrens Hospital and not JUST PBCFR.

Personnel from West Palm Beach Fire Department and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue met the organization Little Smiles to assist children and families at St. Mary's Children's Hospital. They donated their time to bring smiles and laughter to these little ones that are admitted for various medical issues.

Room by Room and Floor to Floor they battled with nerf guns, handed out candies, chips and treats. The Smiles and Laughter overcame some very gloomy situations. One boy laughed because of Mike Politi's antics for the first time since he had been there - the Nursing Staff was amazed!

Thanks to all the Fire Personnel that were in attendance:

PBCFR Sam Eaton
PBCFR Mike Politi
PBCFR Paul Dixon
PBCFR Paul Koski

WPBFD Brian Lamb
WPBFD John Slack
WPBFD Bianca Clements

It was great to see our fine organizations working side by side (if you want to call it work).

INTERESTING AUGUST TWIST ! : In August, Raina, of the organization Little Smiles, got a request from Palms West Children's Hospital. The request came through as it normally does when a child that is in their care has a need or want. The request simply was: Young teen child just admitted with Leukemia has a need for a lap top computer. She's worried about finishing a project that is due at school. They delivered the request by the next day not knowing that they were fulfilling a request from Courtney Wolfe (CP Larry Wolfe's daughter). She received a brand New Toshiba Lap-Top (loaded with the necessary MS Word software), Back Pack, Mouse and Assessories. This is the kind of awesome benevolent service this Little Smiles Organization is doing & They just help one of our own! After speaking with Larry Wolfe, I relayed to Raina Ruelle his heartfelt thanks and our thanks for doing the service that they do.

Little Smiles sends a great big thanks once again to the personnel from West Palm Fire and PBCFR that came out for this.

If you are interested in helping out with the monthly Junk Food Run or Nerf Gun Fight, contact Little Smile's Executive Director - Raina Ruelle: rruelle@littlesmiles.org.

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Story and photos by District Chief Sam Eaton
Posted on August 17th , 2009.

Little Smiles: Junk Food Run in June

In June, personnel from Battalion Two generously gave of their time to help out an organization called Little Smiles. Little Smiles is a local organization that provides benefits and fun to sick or injured children that are in our local children's hospitals. They are non-for-profit and will answer needs that a family might have and many times things that a child JUST wants.

Additionally, each month at the hospitals (Palms West Childrens and St Mary's Childrens) they do what's called a JUNK FOOD RUN! They go to Costco or Sams and load up on treats and toys and hit the children's floors. Its like Halloween but the treaters are coming to YOU.

The children and their family are given bags and are allowed to load them up. The organizations also brings Nerf Guns and there is a lot of playing going on with the kids and a lot of little smiles.

Palm Beach Couty Fire Rescue personnel were honored and pleased to be part of the Junk Food Run in June at Palms West Hospital. It was truly a pleasure to see this fine organization do what it does best, BRING LITTLE SMILES, and our firefighters added some extra smiles in support of their cause. The organizers from Little Smiles and Palms West Hospital were very pleased that we came out to help and conveyed that our personnel made this trip an extra special one.

A BIG THANKS GOES OUT TO...

Jay Ackerman,
John Gratton,
Cody Nevad,
John Jones,
Rickey Rodriguez,
Phil Olaverria,
Janice Weisman,
Chris Combs
James Hernandez
Nigel Baker

If you are interested in helping out with the next Junk Food Run or Nerf Gun Fight, contact Little Smile's Executive Director - Raina Ruelle @ rruelle@littlesmiles.org.

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Story and photos by District Chief Sam Eaton
Posted on August 17th , 2009.

A Hot July in Belle Glade

With the city in the process of prepping the old City Hall/Police department building for demolition, several old firearms along with boxes of potentially important paperwork were found. The building had long ago been condemned and was considered a toxic building with no entry allowed.

Because of the concerns of what unknown toxins may be inside PBSO requested the assistance of Special OP's to locate and remove any sensitive items in the building. Wearing protective encapsulating suits and using their high-tech camera equipment they were able to move through the building and show the PBSO command staff exactly what they were looking at to determine what needed to be removed and decontaminated. All systems worked well and all personnel completed the operation with no problems. E73 assisted in the De-con of the entry team and R73 provided medical and rehab.

On scene units. OP's 1, DC7, DC9, E34, R34, SPLOP's 34, E73, R73 and PBSO command staff

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Story by and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on August 10th , 2009.

2nd Annual Jeff Annas Memorial Run

The Firefighters Paramedics Benevolent Fund is proud to present the 2nd Annual Jeff Annas Memorial Firefighters 5k Run. The race will be held September 12th, 2009 at Okeeheelee Park. Starting time is 8:00 am. Please arrive early as large race day crowds are expected.

Last year over 531 runners participated in the event including over 100 firefighters. This year will also include a kids fun run 1 kilometer in distance. More information can be found at JeffAnnas5k.com

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Posted on August 6th , 2009.

Mike Thompson Memorial Service

On July 18, 2009, PBCFR Honor Guard and Pipe and Drum Corps rendered honors to retired DO Mike Thompson in Fentress Co. TN. Mike passed away after his battle with cancer.

The ceremony took place in the local park with 100+ members of the community, family, and Fire-Rescue personnel, both current and retired.

Honors included a flag fold with presentation to his wife, a helmet to his daughter, and a helicopter fly-over, all set in concert to the music of our Pipe and Drum Corps.

After the 30 minute service, local fire apparatus led a small procession to the Coffee Stop Cafe owned by Mike and Heather for a reception.

This was a cooperative effort of Local 2928 and PBCFR Administration to make this happen for Mike's family. They were truly overwhelmed by the show of support, and expressed their heartfelt thanks to all.

Honor Guard : Steen Eriksson, Lenny Collins, Ron Macleod
Pipe and Drum: John Fischer, Jon Ferguson, Lee Forshner

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Story by Steen Eriksson and photos by Kit Howes and Jeff Galloway.
Posted on August 6th , 2009.

Vehicle Accident in South Bay

On August 4, 2009, a Palm Beach County Fire Rescue unit returning from mapping in the Lake Harbor area came across a motor vehicle accident that had just happened in the 300 block of US Hwy 27 North in South Bay.

Initial reports were that the SUV lost control after going through some standing water, rolled over, crossed the median and struck a car. Both vehicles received major damage. There were a total of four patients. With the exception of one engine company, all units in the 7th Battalion were at this call.

Assessment of the patients determined that two of the injured met trauma transport criteria. A landing zone was set up at the Branch Packing House parking lot adjacent to the incident. The other two patients were transported by rescue to Glades General Hospital.

On scene units included OP's 7, DC7, EMS7, E73, E73B, R73, R73B, R72, Trauma Hawk.

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Story and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on August 6th , 2009.

Station 81 Gets Two New Dragons

Photos of two new airport fire/rescue vehicles just received at Station 81. They are Oshkosh Strikers. Each unit carries 3000 gallons of water, 420 gallons of AFFF foam, and 500 pounds of Purple K dry chemical agent. Both vehicles can be operated by one operator however, have seating for 3. Both vehicles are equipped with Forward Looking Infared and Color cameras. The crews at Station 81 will be doing extensive training on these vehicles in the next few weeks, prior to being placed in service. The new trucks will be called Dragon 2 and Dragon 3. Dragon 2 will replace a 1997 1500 gallon vehicle, and Dragon 3 will be replacing old Dragon 4 (also a 1997 vehicle which will become a spare).

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Story and photos by John Boike
Posted on August 3rd , 2009.

Larry's Going Away Party

Station 34 hosted a going away party for DO Larry Lawler, Sgt. US Army National Guard. A house full of his family and friends were on hand to wish him well. Chief Brice and many more of his fire department brothers and sisters were also on hand. "Sahlen's" hotdogs, flown in from Larry's hometown of Buffalo, were on the menu for this special occasion. Much to Larry's relief, the hotdogs were perfectly grilled and not "ruined" in boiling water.

Larry and his reserve unit were called upon to serve and protect this country in Iraq. His unit will train for approximately 1 month in Indiana before being deployed for about a year overseas. Waiting for him at home are his wife, Virginia, and two daughters, Christine and Jessica. Please keep Larry and his family in your thoughts as we await his safe return.

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Story and photos by Station 34 C-Shift
Posted on July 15th , 2009.

Drive Through Rent-A-Center

Shoppers in the Rent-A-Center on SW 16th Street in Belle Glade received a big surprise. The driver of a vehicle, for an unknown reason, failed to stop at the curb in front of the store. The car traveled up and over the high sidewalk and through the front window. It appears the vehicle was then backed out of the store and abandoned. Fortunately no shoppers inside the store or at the shopping center were injured. There were apparently no serious injuries in the car and the building did not suffer any structural damage.

On scene units E73B, R73B, DC7.

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Story and photos by Curtis Rice, District Chief
Posted on July 9th , 2009.

Vehicle Fire in Belle Glade

On Friday, July 3rd, 2009 at approximately 4:02 pm units from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 73 responded to a vehicle fire in the 1500 block of Torry Island Road on the west side of Belle Glade. Crews arrived to find a pickup truck fully involved in fire. It took crews about five minutes to extinguish the fire.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but does not appear to be suspicious.

Units on scene: E73, R73, EMS7

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Story and photos by Capt. Craig Prusansky
Posted on July 6th , 2009.

Triple Header for Pahokee

June gave Station 72, Pahokee, and Station 73, Belle Glade a very interesting C-shift. Right after change of shift, the two stations were dispatched to a reported structure fire on Conner's Hwy. Crews reported seeing a column of smoke early into the response. Due to the very long distance to this location, after the fire the crews also talked about the column becoming less the closer they got. This was because at the time of dispatch, the small residential structure was fully involved. Upon arrival of the ST72 units the structure had already collapsed. The fire was determined to be suspicious as there was no power to the structure and no one had lived there for some time. An investigator was requested.

Once the overhaul of this structure was complete and most of the support units had been released, it was decided to look into another structure on the property that we would not consider an exposure however, it too had no power and had not been lived in for some time. Early into the first fire, this structure was quickly looked at with no obvious signs of any problems. Investigator Summers entered the structure and once inside came across obvious signs of arson. She immediately backed out of the structure and notified the IC, Capt Duran. Inv. Summers had found burns on the floor and saw sparks fall from a door with burn damage.

Capt Duran closed up the structure and called for units to back them up. As there was no water on the property, T72 was not on site as DO McCarroll was at a distant site refilling. E72 at this point was also extremely low on water. The decision was made to standby for support and water. Once units arrived and a water supply was established, exterior ventilation was done on the Bravo side windows and crews entered with a charged hoseline. It was found that this structure had been set on fire, probably at the same time as the first structure. Due to its being closed up tight the fire went out. Burn trailers were noted in different rooms on the floor, doors had been burned at the bottom and a can of what was believed to be gasoline was found on the floor next to one of the burned areas. The incident is under investigation.

Later that afternoon the very same units were dispatched to a trailer on fire on E. 7th Street in Pahokee. E72, R72 & T72 arrived to find smoke showing and the living room of the trailer on fire. E73 and E73B assisted. The fire was quickly knocked down.

Units on scene: E72, R72, T72, E73, E73B, EMS7, DC7, INV

Just another day in the 7th Battalion.

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Posted on July 1st , 2009.

Fully Involved Structure Fire in Pahokee

On Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 7:12 pm, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue stations 72 and 73 responded to a residential structure fire in the southern section of the City of Pahokee. Crews arrived to find an abandoned double-wide trailer fully involved in fire.

A defensive attack was initiated by the first arriving crews. Due to the large amount of fire, it took crews about 25 minutes to bring the fire under control. No one was injured during the fire. The fire is currently under investigation by the Palm Beach County Bomb/Fire/Arson Unit.

Units on scene: E72, R72, T72, E73B, R73B, DC7, EMS7

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Story and photos by Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on June 19th , 2009.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue's Video Production Team Receives Top Honors

Members of Palm Beach County Fire Video Production team were recognized for their work at the 24th Annual Distinguished Service Awards Luncheon held by the Traffic Safety Committee of the Palm Beaches. The Video Production Team, consisting of Jack Norris, Sergio Ornelas, and Derek Wiley, have produced public information programs on the subjects of automobile and bicycle safety, as well as PSA's that stress the importance of motorists yielding the right of way to oncoming emergency vehicles.

The Traffic Safety Committee of the Palm Beaches is an organization that was founded in 1983 with the mission to enhance traffic safety awareness and programs in Palm Beach County.

We salute our Video Production team for another outstanding job. Congratulations!!!

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Posted on June 9th , 2009.

Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge

On Saturday, May 30, 2009, several of our firefighters competed in the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge at Old Town in Kissimmee. Our firefighters did extremely well in the events.

Participating in the events were: Wendy Arnold (on loan from City of Clearwater), Jason Cabal (on loan from Seminole County), Leilani Kamalu (Batt 4), Tricia Kamalu (Batt 3), Elizabeth Martino (Batt 7), Jason Martino (Batt 7), Lynnette Reid (Batt 7), Amy Tuminski (Batt 7), Laura Villiers (on loan from Miami-Dade)

Here are the highlight of the results:

Female Relay Team: 1st Place - Ladies of Palm Beach County - Leilani Kamalu, Tricia Kamalu, Elizabeth Martino, Lynnette Reid, Amy Tuminski, Laura Villiers
Female Tandem Team: 1st Place - Wendy Arnold, Elizabeth Martino
Female Tandem Team: 2nd Place - Amy Tuminski, Laura Villiers
Co-Ed Tandem Team: 1st Place - Elizabeth Martino, Jason Martino
Co-Ed Tandem Team: 2nd Place - Jason Cabal, Amy Tuminski

Congratulations to these fine athletes and firefighters! We are proud of all of them!

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Story by Capt. Craig Prusansky, photos by DO Jason Martino
Posted on June 4th , 2009.

Station 28 Goes the Extra Mile

Recently crews from station 28 were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident in a residential neighborhood in Royal Palm Beach. Crews arrived to find a Ford F-150 pickup truck lodged inside of a home. In addition, the truck had actually driven in and out of a second home. The driver of the truck had suffered a significant medical emergency which led to the accident. The driver was transported to JFK Emergency Room.

Crews were then faced with two homes with large openings in them, while the two families of seniors trying to figure out what to do next. One family decided to stay in their house while the other planned to stay with their daughter.

The crews from station 28 began to inventory what was available to them. Between what was back at the station, at their near-by private homes, in their personal trucks and from neighbors, the crews were able to set a plan on how to help secure these two homes.

After the building official declared the homes safe, crews removed most of the debris inside the homes, cleaned up the outer surfaces and secured plywood over the openings. Both families were grateful that their homes had been secured and they could begin to recover and repair after a night of unexpected and unwanted excitement.

All crews involved exemplified leadership and teamwork in order going the extra mile for our fire rescue customer here!!! Frequent Fire Miles go to: Cpt. Kevin Shaw, DO Richard Kingston, PM Doug Stewart, Lt Lynne Gralin, PM Lownsdale, FF Chris Combs, Rescue Cpt Ernst Muller, District Chief Neil Enos and Battalin Chief Nigel Baker.

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Posted on May 26th , 2009.

Introducing Gold Medalist Kevin Kimberly

Not many people know that our very own Captain Kevin Kimberly was a Gold Medal winner in the firefighter Olympics. In all, he received a Gold Medal in the rifle competition, Gold Medal for best team in the rifle division (along with teammate Mitch White, PBCFR), a Silver Medal in the centerfire pistol competition and a Bronze Medal in the rimfire pistol team competition, again with teammate Mitch White.

Kevin began his shooting competition hobby when he was 17 with the National Guard Explorers and ended up going to the Nationals with their team. After a short hiatus, Kevin again picked up competitive shooting in the 2000 State Firefighter games and placed 4th overall in the rifle division. After some training with D/O Jimmy Johnson and D/O Mitch White, he also began to compete with pistols. The pistol competition is divided into two divisions: Centerfire pistol (any caliber but .22) and Rimfire (only .22 caliber guns allowed). Pistols are shot from 25 yards. The rifle division is for .22 caliber rifles only and targets are set at 50 yards.

Kevin scored a 255 out of a possible 300 points. Everyone is glad he�s on our team.

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Story and photos from the desk of Captain Don Delucia, PIO
Posted on May 14th , 2009.

Multiple PBC Agencies Respond to Mass Casualty Incident

Some pictures taken at a Level 3 Mass Casualty Incident on Wednesday, May 13, 2009. This was a lengthy event that moved from the Boynton Inlet to Phil Foster Park in Riviera Beach. Numerous departments worked together in preparation for the possibility of a large drop off of patients by the Coast Guard. A capsized boat may have been carrying as many as 28 people. The event ended with the drop off of deceased victims only and all units were released.

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Story by Captain Don Delucia, PIO and photos by Captain Mark Carr
Posted on May 14th , 2009.

Battalion 7 Drives the Extra Mile

Battalion 7 has been driving the extra mile, literally, for their customers lately! Several incidents have occured in recent weeks that tend to stand out above the rest. Station 74 units responded to a signal 4 rollover where a family of three (mom, son and daughter) lost control of their vehicle. They were returning from Lake Whales where they were celebrating the daughter's birthday with family. Nobody was injured but the vehicle was totaled and they still had a long way to go before they reached Oakland Park, which is where the family lived. Dad was a contract employee and was stationed in Iraq. The presents were jammed in the trunk and the family members were covered in mulch. The CAT Team was not available so R73 brought the family back to the station so they could clean up and re-group. While their mom got them cleaned up, the crew of R73 made them PB&J sandwiches. E74 forced the trunk open and brought all the birthday presents along with all the other items from the car back to the station. BC Arena cleared the use of the batallion spare car in order for PM Doug Taylor to drive them home to Broward County. WOW!! That's treating our customers like family!

On another occasion, Station 73 units responded to a medical call to a driver of a large RV. After determining that the elderly friend who was the uninvolved passenger could not drive the RV, E73 didn't think twice about securing the vehicle and riding the friend home in the fire engine!

Lastly Chief Rowley and Cpt Ken Sehres came upon a family of five who was involved in a serious signal four rollover while enroute to Miami from Clewiston. They were trying to get their kids into Spring Camp vacation when the incident occured. Thankfully nobody was injured, however, the vehicle was a total loss. They attempted in locating a rental car agency even though the nearest place was over an hour away. Even the Vice Mayor of South Bay got involved and volunteered to drive the family to the east coast so that they could pick up the car and finish their vacation.

As these incidents all happened within the same few days and were all in Battalion 7, we chose to write it up as one story. It is great to see, especially in these troubled times, crews going the extra mile to assist customers and make the difference.

Great job Battalion 7 and District Chief Bill Rowley, Captain Ken Sehres, Captain R. Frank, R. Rodman, D. Taylor, C. Berry, J. Hachet, J. Russell, District Chief Curtis Rice, Battalion Chief M. Arena, Captain R. Christmas, & Driver/Operator F. Iznaga.

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Posted on May 14th , 2009.

Drowning Prevention Coalition Rummage Sale

Never fear, Jerry G is here! Recently, the Drowning Prevention Coalition, housed in and partnered with Fire-Rescue, held a huge rummage sale. The proceeds are helping pay for swimming lessons for children with autism. As you can imagine, the collecting, sorting, logging, storing, delivering, setting up, selling, and breaking down of donated items was quite time consuming, and volunteers were highly coveted.

Several people from Inspections, Community-Ed, and citizens from local communities donated their time and spirit. Even a CAT member joined in the fun � who says CATs don't like water???? GREAT job everyone! Remember � PAY ATTENTION TO DROWNING PREVENTION.

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Story and photos from CAT Coordinator Alicia Kula
Posted on May 13th , 2009.

Martin County Brush Fire

On Monday, May 11, for the second time in two days, PBCFR units responded to Indiantown to assist Martin County Fire Rescue with multiple brush fires. Units were assigned to structural protection and wildfire attack in the northeast sections of the town. Also on scene were units from DOF, St. Lucie and Indian River Counties.

Units were released around 2300 hours, and even at that late hour multiple fires were visible on the horizon along SR710.

Units included E14, B14, E17, B17, E72, B72, E20, B20, E48, B48, E30, DC1, BC1, AT13 and CH2.

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Story and photos by Deputy Chief Steve Jerauld
Posted on May 13th , 2009.

Lantana Airport Plane Crash

A single engine Beechcraft V35 Bonanza tried unsuccessfully to make an emergency landing at Lantana airport on Wednesday, May 6th. The aircraft ended up severing the wing on one parked plane and damaging another then slid under a parked semi-trailer. Both the pilot and the passenger died from the impact. Initial impressions are that the aircraft experienced engine problems after takeoff.

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Story by Captain Don Delucia, PIO, photos by Captain Mark Carr
Posted on May 7th , 2009.

Florida Forestry Crews Train Palm Beach County Firefighters

Brush fires in the south Florida heat are a common threat during the windy, dry seasons of the year. Local fire departments and forestry services often work hand-in-hand to protect homes and property from the devastating effects of these, often fast-moving, fires.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and the Everglades District of Florida's Division of Forestry have long enjoyed a close working relationship. The two agencies depend on the expertise the other brings to the table to meet the main objectives of the incident � to put out the fire and to assure that "Everybody goes home at the end of the incident". In recent months the two workforces have further cemented their relationship through training and familiarization with each other's equipment.

Occasionally, in a bad situation, Forestry firefighters are called upon to assist Fire Rescue crews who have become mired in the muck or mud of the off-road environment as a fast-moving fire approaches. Other times, the fire may encroach upon locations where Forestry has staged their tractor haulers after deploying the tractor-plows. In the worst of situations, if perhaps, a Forestry firefighter becomes incapacitated in his tractor-plow, County firefighters could be required to extract the downed firefighter from the tractor-plow or move the tractor-plow to a safe location.

Recently, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue District Chief James Schaffner and Florida Forestry Everglades Area Supervisor Chris Wasil developed and instituted a training program that equipped firefighters to accomplish these "emergency" tasks. With the assistance of Fire Rescue Driver/Operator John Greer, Sr. and Forestry Firefighters Harry Mortimer, John Greer, Jr. and James Schaffner; crews from the western, or rural, communities of the county were given training that explained many of the in's and out's of both the hauler trucks and the tractor-plows used in the area. They were shown things such as how to raise the hydraulic ramps, use the fire suppression systems and drive the large trucks. They were also familiarized with how to access the batteries, power switches, fuel shut-offs, and fire suppression systems of the haulers as well as how to operate all of the cage and door latches on the tractors. Topping it all off, the County firefighters received instruction in how to actually operate and drive the tractor-plows. Each firefighter had the opportunity to drive the tractor-plows through a circuit laid out in a wooded area of their district.

Further training allowed each firefighter to drive their own brush fire truck along with a more experienced operator in a variety of off-road conditions including uneven terrain, wet or dry soil, and tight spaces. The four-wheel-drive capabilities of the trucks were demonstrated and performed in a real-life environment.

All of the Fire-Rescue crews that participated in the training enjoyed the chance to take part in a different variety of hands-on training and enjoyed the chance to forge closer working relationships with their counterparts in the Forestry service.

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Story and Photos by Captain Mark V. Carr
Posted on May 5th , 2009.

Station 72 Brings Easter to Pahokee

On April 12th, Easter Sunday, the crew from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Station 72 C-shift organized an Easter egg hunt for the children of Pahokee, the first of its kind in this area. Days before, the crew gathered hundreds of dollars in donations to help with the egg hunt. Approximately 2,000 plastic eggs, numerous bags of candy, chocolate Easter bunnies, and Easter baskets were all donated from sponsors in our area.

The day kicked off with a giant egg hunt at Rardin Park in Pahokee. About 60 children ran throughout the park searching for eggs stuffed with treats and prizes. The laughter, cheering and smiling faces of many children could be seen all over the park!

Then, the firefighters from Station 72 drove throughout their community handing out bags of Easter eggs and Easter baskets. Kids from all over were so excited and had tears of joy! At times, the kids were screaming "we love the firemen, we love the firemen"! This brought such joy and happiness to the fire rescue crew.

The crew at Station 72C wishes to thank the numerous sponsors including Walmart, Target, Dollar General and Save-a-lot for making this event possible.

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Story and photos by Lt. Tony Faso, PBCFR Station 72
Posted on April 14th , 2009.

Fatal Accident in Belle Glade

On Tuesday, April 7, 2009, at approximately 12:50 pm units from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Stations 73 and 34 responded to a witnessed vehicle in a canal at the intersection of West Canal Street South and Northwest 2nd Street in Belle Glade. There were two occupants in the minivan that had drove off of the roadway and ended up in the Hillsboro Canal. The passenger was able to get out and was assisted out to the shore by PBSO Deputies, but the driver was still trapped when rescue crews arrived.

Witnesses stated that the vehicle submerged rapidly after entering the water. Rescue crews had a difficult time accessing the vehicle to rescue the driver because of the deep water, fast current, and murky conditions. Moss Towing was able to remove the car from the water, at which time the driver was removed by Fire-Rescue paramedics who initiated care.

The cause of this accident is under investigation by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

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Story and photos by Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on April 8th , 2009.

Former Palm Beach County Truck Overseas

As the fleet of most fire departments age, new apparatus are purchased to replace them. What happens to the older rigs is not usually of concern, and is not usually kept track of, except by fire apparatus buffs and historians. Some rigs are sold or donated to smaller departments close by. Others are traded in and purchased by smaller departments where they're often refurbished and given a new life. And quite often, the rigs are sold at auction and used by private owners or shipped abroad.

Such is the case of this 1986 Ford F350/Wheeled Coach unit former rescue truck recently found in Argentina.

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Story by Mark V. Carr, Photo by Dr. James Kus
Posted on April 5th , 2009.

Vehicle Accident on US-27

On Thursday, March 31st, units from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBCFR) and Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) were dispatched to a reported single-vehicle roll-over on US Hwy 27, approximately 10 miles north of South Bay. Construction workers in the area reported that a vehicle rolled over several times with 2 people being ejected.

DC7, BC7 and E74 arrived to find an SUV in the median with heavy damage. Two patients were noted on the ground upon arrival. Command was established and a quick assessment of the patients was completed. With the extent of the injuries, both Trauma Hawk One and Trauma Hawk Two were request to fly. Due to the close proximity to the Hendry County Line, Hendry County MED 108 and the Clewiston Fire Department also arrived on scene.

Patients were treated, immobilized and transported to the landing zone at John Stretch Park. Both patients were airlifted to the regional trauma center.

Units on scene- BC7, DC7, EMS7, E74, R74, E73, R73, TH1, TH2, Hendry County MED 108 and an Engine from The Clewiston Fire Department.

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Story and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on April 7th , 2009.

Rush Hour Wreck Snarls Traffic in West Palm Beach

Several units from the West Palm Beach Fire Department and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue responded to a rush-hour crash on Okeechobee Blvd. just west of Interstate 95. Initial reports were that 5 or 6 vehicles were involved, one on its roof and smoking.

West Palm Beach's Rescue 6 and Engine 1 were initially dispatched and Palm Beach County's Engine 24 and Rescue 24 were dispatched to what was initially thought to be another crash in the same area. The two calls turned out to be one and the same. Squad 4 and Rescue 4 from West Palm Beach as well as several EMS, Chiefs, and Safety Officers subsequently responded when the intensity of the telephone reports escalated. City and County crews ended up working together to assess and mitigate the incident.

First on the scene was West Palm Beach Squad 4 who reported multiple vehicles with one car rolled over and onto the hood of another. Both the east and west bound lanes of Okeechobee Blvd, a major artery in the center of the county, were cluttered with crashed cars pointed in all directions in the roadway.

There were several walking-wounded victims from the crash as well as a couple that were treated and transported by West Palm Beach Fire Rescue. Most of the victims received only minor injuries and were treated and released at the scene. Amazingly, nobody was trapped or seriously injured.

(Please visit our website at the link below to view pictures associated with this article.)
Story and photos by Captain Mark V. Carr
Posted on March 24th , 2009.

Fire in Canal Point

On 3-19-09 at 2317 hours, units from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Station 72 in Pahokee and Station 73 in Belle Glade responded to a residential structure fire in Canal Point. While responding, units were notified that the Palm Beach Sheriff's Deputies were on scene and reporting a house fully involved with the house next to it beginning to burn.

On arrival, station 72's units found a house 75% involved, with flames blowing out the windows on the Bravo, Charlie and Delta sides. The flames were touching the neighbor's house. The Alpha side was showing black, boiling smoke, exiting under extreme pressure. As the first line was being pulled, this angry black smoke lit off, resulting in an fire ball rolling out from the front porch. Captain Paccione on Engine 72 ordered the first line deployed to protect the Bravo exposure, which now had flames rolling over the top of it. A water supply was quickly established by Engine 72 Driver R. Rodriguez and Tender 72 Driver Bud McCarroll. With a positive water supply, the second pre-connect as well as the 2.5" were charged, both as fire attack lines. Although initially short handed, Engine 72 and Rescue 72 crews were able to put all three lines in service until the balance of the alarm arrived. With all 3 lines flowing, the water system in that area was taxed. The closest hydrant could only supply about 400 gpm's.

Because of a quick and aggressive fire attack by the Station 72 crews, the exposure was saved and a family still has a home to live in. The structure suffered very minor damage to the outside "Delta" wall. Unfortunately, the house of origin was a complete loss. The residents in the community gave all PBCFR crews great praise for their quick and aggressive fire attack which resulted in a save for their neighbors home.

Units on scene - E72, R72, T72, B72, E73, E73B, EMS7, DC7, IV.

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Story by Lt. Tony Faso R72-C, pictures by PBSO
Posted on March 23rd , 2009.

Local 2928 Recognizes Local News Anchor

The Professional Firefighters/Paramedics of Palm Beach County, Local 2928, IAFF, Inc., recognized a WPTV Channel 5 local news anchor, Chandra Bill, for achieving second place in the International Association of Fire Fighters annual "TV News Feature or Documentary Contest."

Ms. Bill has shown support of local efforts to get the State of Florida to recognize cancer as a presumptive disease for Firefighters by creating a series of new stories documenting and bringing attention to the issue. As part of her news series, Ms. Bill documented the trials and tribulations of Palm Beach County Firefighter Guy Roper as he battled the disease.

On more than one occasion, Ms. Bill traveled to Texas to meet with and interview Roper using her own time. Local 2928 showed its support of Ms. Bill�s efforts to bring attention to this cause by entering the news series into the national contest and later recognizing her for her success in achieving second place with a certificate of achievement and a gift of appreciation.

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Posted on March 19th , 2009.

Sons of the American Revolution Awards Recipients

Three of our employees were honored at an awards ceremony held by the Palm Beach Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution on Tuesday, March 17, 2009. The Sons of the American Revolution is a fraternal organization made up of direct descendants of our country's "Founding Fathers". Their purpose is to maintain those ideals which their descendants fought to instill in our country.

Once a year they hold an awards ceremony to honor those involved in fire safety and law enforcement who have made outstanding accomplishments and/or contributions of the areas of fire safety and law enforcement. This year, the awards ceremony was held at the Sailfish Club in the Town of Palm Beach.

Twelve people were being honored this year: six for law enforcement, and six for fire safety. Out of those six for fire safety, three were from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue: Fire Safety Specialist John Harsch, EMS Captain Craig Prusansky, and District Chief William Rowley. These three were awarded the medal for their exemplary work in various areas of the fire service.

Also in attendance were the supervisors for these employees: Deputy Chief Randy Sheppard, Division Chief Jim St. Pierre, and Battalion Chief Michael Arena.

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Posted on March 19th , 2009.

Vehicle vs Gas Pump, With Fire

E42, R44, E44, R45, DC4, EMS4 responded to a signal 4 in a Chevron parking lot with gas pumps involved. Found 2 vehicles on fire and a gas pump taken out of the ground. One patient transported ALS to DCH.

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Story and photos by Captain Jeffrey Teems
Posted on March 17th , 2009.

Royal Palm Beach Students Say, "I Can" with Station 28

Concern for humanity is still alive in Royal Palm Beach! Students at Ideal Preschool and Dream Middle School in Royal Palm Beach had a "Heart to Heart" talk with Principal/Co-owner Wendy Soderman, also a teacher at the schools, and learned that they can make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate of their own community. Every Friday afternoon, at the end of the school day, the children are given an opportunity to share in the project aptly called "I Can", by the students.

Along with Principal/Co-owners Chris and Wendy Soderman, teachers and parents, the students take a 4-mile walk from their school to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Station 28 and back. With them, the each carry a canned good that they deposit in a bin at the fire station. The firefighters then take the canned goods to local church or civic groups to be dispersed as needed.

Approximately 100 students choose to participate in the weekly journey. To show their excitement for the cause, they've designed their own special t-shirts that identify their mission. They wear the shirts as identification on the trip and as a way to promote their joy of giving.

Wendy Soderman and teacher Joanne Markovich share that the kids' desire is for other schools, churches and groups see what they are doing and join in the cause.

At the fire station, the kids are allowed to help themselves to ice cold water and a shady spot to rest before returning to school. Some even enjoy looking over the fire engine and talking to the firefighters. As an extra reward for participating, the kids get to pick a ticket from a hat for a lucky chance reward. Winning ticket holders are rewarded in a variety of ways such as a dress-down day, being allowed to wear their pajamas to school, and other class privileges.

Children are our future family and community leaders. It's encouraging to see them display such a giving spirit at such young ages. Way to go kids!

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Story and photo by Captain Mark V. Carr
Posted on March 16th , 2009.

Double Drowning in Lake Okeechobee Canal

On Friday, February 27, 2009, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 73 responded to a report of a boating accident at John Stretch Park near the community of Lake Harbor. A man, his daughter, and his granddaughter were boating when the boat took a sharp turn, causing the three to fall into the water.

A PBSO (Palm Beach County Sheriff Office) Deputy who was close by was able to rescue the 8-year old daughter from the water, but the man and his granddaughter were not able to be rescued and died. Crews from Station 73 deployed Airboat 73 to perform a search of the area. The granddaughter was found later that night by Florida Game and Fish officers, and the man was found the next day by PBSO divers.

The daughter was taken to a local hospital for treatment and is expected to recover. The PBCFR Light and Air unit remained on scene all night to assist the law enforcement officials with the search.

The incident is under investigation by PBSO.

Unit on scene: E73, E73B, AB73, R73, LA24, DC7, EMS7

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Story and photo by Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on March 6th , 2009.

Rollover Crash with Fire on US 27 in Lake Harbor

On Saturday, February 28, 2009, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Stations 73 and 74 responded to a report of a rollover car crash with fire near Mile Marker 81 on US Highway 27, near the community of Lake Harbor.

Crews arrived to find a single vehicle on its side, fully engulfed in flames. The occupant of the vehicle was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The fire was extinguished quickly by the responding crews. The crash had US Highway 27 closed for a couple of hours.

The incident is under investigation by PBSO.

Unit on scene: E74, E73B, R73B, DC7, EMS7

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Story and photo by Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on March 6th , 2009.

Semi Crash on US 27 Near Okeelanta

On Friday, March 6, 2009, at 5:20 am, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Stations 73 and 74 responded to a report of a vehicle crash with near the Okeelanta Sugar Mill on US Highway 27 several miles south of South Bay.

Crews arrived to find two semi-trailers that had collided, both having severe damage. The driver of one of the trucks was ejected and had died from his injuries on the scene. The three occupants of the other truck were treated on scene and released.

The incident is under investigation by Palm Beach County Sheriff Office and Florida Highway Patrol.

Unit on scene: E74, E73B, R73B, DC7, EMS7

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Story and photo by Captain Craig Prusansky
Posted on March 6th , 2009.

MCI in Northwestern Battalion 7

Late Sunday night Battalion 7 units were dispatched to assist Hendry County EMS and Clewiston Fire department working a multiple car accident on US Hwy 27. During the extended response, units learned there were at least 5 patients lying in the roadway. Trauma Hawk was then placed on standby and additional units called.

Upon the arrival of DC-7, he advised incoming crews of the conditions onscene, and assumed 27 command.

E-74 arrived next and began to assist HCEMS crews working in the median. EMS-7 arrived and was assigned EMS division. As he walked around, he discovered several patients scattered about the scene, one located almost 175 feet away. EMS-7 along with E-74 set up a patient staging and treatment area to determine the number of patients and extent of injuries. E-73B arrived to secure an LZ. R-73 and R-73B arrived soon after, and were told to report to the patient staging area for assignment.

The first two patients (Both Trauma Alerts, 1 adult, 1 pediatric) were sent to TH-1 for transport. A total of 5 patients, (2 pediatric and 3 adult) were transported away from the scene. R-73 transported a patient by ground to PWH were TH-1 met them to transfer the patient for aeromedical evacuation. HCEMS took the remaining patients to Hendry Regional where Collier County Life Flight met them for aeromedical transport to a trauma facility, the closest being 77 miles away.

Conflicting reports onscene about the number of patients became a concern. PBSO Eagle 1 came to assist the search operations with the night scan FLIR, and crews on the ground with TICs.

No other patients were located.

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Story and photos by EMS Captain Cameron Bucek
Posted on February 9th , 2009.

House Fire in Station 24's Area

On January 20th, 2009 at 15:46 hrs, units from Battalion 3 responded to a house fire on Suwanee Ave in Westgate. E24, R24 arrived to find a abandoned house with flames showing from sides A, B, and C. Companies knocked down the fire, primary/secondary searches conducted, overhaul completed.

Other companies on scene were L-5, E33, E23, R23b, EMS10 and DC10.

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Story and photos by Driver Operator Jon Ferguson
Posted on February 9th , 2009.

Belle Glade Historic Building Saved

Units from Battalion 7 where dispatched to the old city hall building located on Avenue A in Belle Glade. The building was originally constructed in 1935 and was once the fire station for the city of Belle Glade.

Initial units arrived to find light smoke showing from the second floor and workers onscene stated they started the fire accidentally with a torch on the roof and it spread to the floor below inside the concealed spaces. Crews were hampered by access into the building, the building is currently under renovation to become a historic landmark and city gathering place. Huge holes in the floor, open truss spans, and a roof half completed added to the complexity of the fire suppression efforts.

Initial crews laddered the building and deployed multiple high rise packs that were advanced to the second floor and the roof, multiple ladders were set up for egress and the quint was enroute. DC-7 assumed command, EMS-7 was assigned roof division along with E-74, Crews from E-73B and R-73 pulled ceilings in the second floor and found fire inside the roof void spaces. The roof division began opening the roof with vent saws and hand tools, going through many layers of built-up materials, and also hampered by heavy smoke emitting from the holes. Crews extinguished the fire from below.

Q29/C arrived to side A and began assisting the roof division and after opening a trench type cut from one side to another the fire was deemed "out".

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Story and photos by EMS Captain Cameron Bucek
Posted on February 6th , 2009.

Car Versus Tractor Trailer in the Glades

Units from Station 72 responded to a reported MVA on US Hwy 98 and Hatton Hwy, and upon arrival found a car had slammed into the side of a tractor trailer with very heavy damage. Engine 72 immediately notified DC-7 and EMS-7 of the scene and requested additional units.

E-72 found 2 subjects in the mangled vehicle injured and meeting Trauma Alert Criteria. R-72 assisted in patient care while E-72 began extrication. Trauma Hawk was notified and T-72 dispatched for an LZ. R-73 was called for additional EMS functions.

Crews spent approximately 15 minutes removing the left side of the vehicle (sideout), and R-72 assisted with patient care inside the car. Upon arrival, DC-7 assumed command and EMS-7 assisted in patient care. The first patient was removed and placed in the back of R-72, the second (driver) was pinned under the dash and had severe injuries.

Crews from Trauma Hawk arrived to assist EMS-7 in RSI and once the patient was removed further secondary assessment. T-72 D/O McCarrol provided a secure LZ with the tender, and R-73 continued to treat the driver until he was loaded into TH-1.

All crews did an outstanding job with limited resources and personnel. Just another day in the Glades.

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Story and photos by EMS Captain Cameron Bucek
Posted on February 6th , 2009.

Units Responded to a Pole Barn Fire in Station 46's Area

On January 31, units responded to a reported structure fire at 6295 Western Way. On arrival, they found a pole barn on fire. Hundreds of feet of hose line were used due to the location of a water supply and PBSO had to be called for crowd control. The fire was brought under control within one hour. No injuries were reported.

Units on scene included E43, DC3, Q47, E41, E46, EMS3, Q29, R46, BC3, R47, T48, R41, E48, B48, E42, IV5

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Story and photos by Captain Don Delucia, PIO
Posted on February 5th , 2009.

Car Versus Building

On Saturday Jan. 24, 2009, crews from station 73, EMS-7, and DC-7 responded to a MVA (Motor Vehicle Accident). Upon arrival initial units found a vehicle had been driven into a house.

E-73 tended to the auto stuck inside the living room. The crash had punctured the fuel tank, which was steadily leaking. Foam was applied. The leak could not be accessed safely due to the stability of the structure. The tow company removed the vehicle and then the leak was secured with "Stop-Leak".

The driver was removed from the vehicle and turned over to R-73 for transport to GGH with minor injuries. Nobody in the home was injured.

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Story and photos by EMS Captain Cameron Bucek
Posted on February 2nd , 2009.

Firefighters Help Habitat for Humanity

A recent "sweater weather" Saturday brought a group of coworkers from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue together to continue the battle against substandard housing in their community. As the sun rose over the tree tops, warming up spirits and the flesh, they prepared to put in yet another day of work at the Kennedy Estates subdivision in the Jupiter area.

Some of the same faces from other team build days were there along with some new ones too. They were all there to assist Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County fulfilling their mission � To build simple, decent, affordable housing for deserving families.

Their assignment for the day was to finish the truss work and install the sub-fascia and fascia on the roof of what will soon be a home for a hard working Palm Beach County family. Working on land donated to Habitat from Palm Beach County made the effort even more worthwhile. Randy Sheppard, Billy Zeigler, Joe Vitale, John Harsch, Kit Hibbs and John Sherry all shared laughter while enjoying the cool weather at the job site. The crew from station 19 even brought out lunch to the team to make work day even more enjoyable.

This team and many others have continuously supported Habitat over many years but what stood out on this particular day was a comment made by one of the other volunteers who was working on the site with his teen aged son. He said something along these lines: "You know I can't help but notice that firefighters are always doing stuff like this. They are always helping out in the community. I appreciate what they do."

You know something? He's right. Firefighters are always helping out in some way because that's what firefighters do - they help people out. Firefighters should be proud of their role in our society. They should know that the public holds their profession in high regard for not only what they do on-duty but also for what they off-duty. They should keep the public's vision alive by never stopping all their charitable work in our community because the citizens do notice all they do.

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Story and photos by Jack Norris
Posted on January 30th , 2009.

C-Shift Structure Fire in Battalion 5

Sunday morning, January 25, 2009, C-shift, Batt 5 units DC5, EMS5, E51, R51, Q57, E58, and E54 were dispatched to a structure fire at a reportedly abandoned home in 51's area. Upon arrival command advised a defensive attack: the home was 50% involved and appeared to be about 4000sq/ft.

Water supply was an issue on this fire; there was no easily accessible hydrant in the area. Supply lines had to be hand jacked over a wall to E51 to relay water to Q57 & E54 for fire attack. E58 did a masterful job establishing a draft. Master-streams and 2.5" lines were used to get the fire under control and hand lines were used for overhaul.

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Story and photos by Driver Operator Gordon Wilson
Posted on January 27th , 2009.

New Training Tower Banner

The new banner has been installed on the east side of the training tower - as you can see it helps bring some additional pride to the organization.

Thanks to Project pride for all their hard work!

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Story and photos by Div. Chief Vicki Sheppard
Posted on January 27th , 2009.

House Fire in Belle Glade, Second Fire of the Night

On Friday, January 23, 2009, at 1:39 am, units from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue stations 72, 73, 74, and 29 responded to a residential structure fire in the western part of the City of Belle Glade.

Crews arrived to find smoke coming from a single family residence. The two occupants got out of the house and were not injured.

The crews were able to rapidly knock down the fire inside of the house. The entire house suffered smoke damage, but the fire and water damage was confined to the hall bathroom.

The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental in nature, by a water heater malfunction.

Units on scene: E73, E73B, E74, R73B, R72, DC7, EMS7

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Story and photos by Capt. Craig Prusansky
Posted on January 23rd , 2009.

Commercial Structure Fire in Belle Glade

On Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 7:17 pm, units from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue stations 72, 73, 74, and 29 responded to a commercial structure fire in the western part of the City of Belle Glade.

Crews arrived to find heavy fire coming from two campers parked inside of an automobile recycling yard. The trailers were not occupied at the time of the fire.

Due to aggressive firefighting performed by the crews, it took about fifteen minutes to bring the fire under control. One camper was totally destroyed while the other had significant smoke and heat damage.

Two dogs were rescued by crews from the underside of one of the campers, but unfortunately two cats perished in the fire.

The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental in nature, by leaving a heat source too close to the camper.

Units on scene: E73, E73B, E74, T72, R73B, R72, DC7, EMS7, IV3.

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Story and photos by Capt. Craig Prusansky
Posted on January 23rd , 2009.

Technical Rescue in Box-Truck Accident

Crews from Station 74, EMS-7, and DC-7 responded late Saturday night to an accident on US Hwy 27. Upon arrival units found a large box truck had lost control and rolled onto its side. The driver was found on top of the box and unable to move due to his injuries. A bystander had stopped to help and pulled the driver out of the cab onto the top of the trailer (See Photos).

DC-7 assumed command while EX-Special Operations personnel onscene collaborated to come up with a plan to remove the patient safely w/o causing any further injuries. The decision was made to use a technical rescue evolution using ropes and ladders. R-74 crews accessed the patient and started patient care on top of the truck while E-74 and EMS-7 rigged the rope and ladder system. The patient was lashed onto a Miller Board and lowered down a 24" extension ladder with a friction system which utilizes the rungs of the ladder for mechanical advantage. The patient was removed safely and transported to Cleveland Clinic Hospital.

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Story and photos by EMS Captain Cameron Bucek
Posted on January 12th , 2009.

The Holiday Extra Mile

On December 15th, 2008, DC-2, E-23,E-24, R-23, R-23B, R-33 and EMS-10 responded to a hostage situation that resulted in the death of a mother of three children. The crews from these stations have run calls like this in the past. The thing that makes this call different, is that it was just days before Christmas. During this call the mother of the victim, and the grandmother to the three children were placed in the back of Rescue 33. She was placed there not because she was a patient, but because it was a safe and secure place from the dangers of the scene. While waiting in the back of Rescue 33, she was accompanied by Lieutenant Lee Forshner before she was notified that her daughter had been shot and killed. The moment that she found out that her daughter was gone, her life changed, and her first concern was the lives of her grandchildren. She looked at Lt. Forshner and said what am I going to tell the children. As if that wasn�t enough, that night while all were at the hospital the family's home was broken into and robbed of all their belongings. Their tv, dvd player, beds, clothes and even the Christmas tree was stolen. When Lt. Forshner found out that this had happened, his heart dropped. He started to make calls and was placed in touch with PBSO Deputy Sean Lutz. Together they made a horrible situation much more manageable for the family. They reached out to there respective departments, and to the community. They were able to purchase clothes, toys, beds, a tv, a dvd player , a camera and much, much more. The outpouring of support cannot be expressed in words. Monetary donations also started to come in for the family because of Lee's efforts and the publicity that it was receiving in the media. They did this in a very short amount of time, and were able to give the items to the family for Christmas. When they arrived to deliver the gifts, someone asked Lt. Forshner why he did what he did. His answer was simple. He stated boldy, " I wanted to remind the family that there are people in the community that care. Really, truly care". For this family, those members were the public servants of Palm Beach County! Thanks Lee for striving the extra mile this holiday season!

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Posted on January 12th , 2009.

Royal Palm Beach Family Fortunate After Light Fixture Ignites Attic Fire

A family living at 138 Alcazar Street in the LaMancha subdivision of Royal Palm Beach is lucky to have a home after a fire in the attic on January 9th. The fire was dispatched to Stations 28, 29, 21 and 26 at about 3:20 p.m. Engine 28 arrived to observe smoke venting from the eves of the one-story home. Engine 21 arrived and laid a supply line to a fire hydrant two houses away while crews from Engine 28 deployed an attack line into the house. Quint 29 arrived and Incident Command was established and maintained by Captain Matt Pennington until the arrival of District Chief 2 Neil Enos.

Firefighters using a thermal imaging camera located the fire in the attic and determined its origin to be a light fixture. The fire had buried itself in blown-in insulation and burned completely through a 2"x4" roof rafter prior to firefighters' arrival, but was extinguished before doing major damage to the house.

Crews deployed salvage covers to protect furniture and belongings prior to removing ceiling and insulating materials from the attic.

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Story and photos by Captain Mark V. Carr
Posted on January 12th , 2009.

Patient Extricated in South Bay Rollover Accident

Crews from Station 74 along with EMS-7, DC-7, and Trauma Hawk responded to a reported single vehicle rollover accident on US Highway 27. Initial units arrived to find a vehicle that rolled several times with an occupant trapped inside. E-74 Company Officer John Brown orchestrated a textbook extrication, the inner and outer circle were performed, the stabilization of the scene, the vehicle, and the victim were completed upon arrival of EMS-7. Command was established and extrication was begun, the crews choose to remove the entire side (side-out) of the vehicle.

The paramedic from R-74 was placed inside to start patient care. Cervical spinal precautions were in place, oxygen was applied, Intravenous access established along with patient reassurance.

The extrication was completed within approximately 30 minutes. The patient was removed from the vehicle and turned over to Trauma Hawk RN Thomas Volpe for secondary assessment.

Units from nearby Clewiston Fire Department established a safe area for the landing zone and lent a helping hand when needed.

The patient was taken to St. Marys Trauma Center for treatment. No other injuries were reported.

(Please visit our website at the link below to view pictures associated with this article.)
Story and photos by Captain Cameron Bucek
Posted on January 12th , 2009.

Rush Hour Traffic Snarled After Southern Blvd Wreck

Westbound traffic on Southern Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach was brought to a crawl during rush hour on January 6th. Engine 28 and Rescue 28 responded from Royal Palm Beach along with the engine and rescue from Station 25 in nearby Wellington as well as Incident Commander, District Chief Neil Enos and EMS-2.

Apparently a car was hit from behind by another causing it to collide with a private school bus. Remarkably, nobody on the bus or in either of the two cars sustained serious injury.

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Story and photos by Captain Mark V. Carr
Posted on January 7th , 2009.

Second Fire in Two Weeks Displaces Townhouse Residents

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue crews responded to a difficult fire in a 4-unit townhouse building on Regal Court South in the Village of Wellington on January 6th. Engine 25, under the command of Captain Jay Ackerman, was the first unit on the scene and found smoke visible from the eves all around the 2-story structure. Firefighters deployed three pre-connected hose lines while others evacuated residents and rescued pets from the smokey apartments.

A fire hydrant near the scene malfunctioned causing firefighters to have to lay out two hose lines from Engine 25 to another fire hydrant around the block at the entrance to the complex.

The fire, the second in the same structure within two weeks, displaced all of the residents of the apartments and Red Cross was called in to assist with their lodging. A total of 4 fire engines, 2 rescue units, an air supply unit, a ladder truck, 2 district chiefs and an EMS officer responded to the mid-morning fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation

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Story and photos by Captain Mark V. Carr
Posted on January 7th , 2009.

Community Assistance Team Supports Toys for Tots

PBCFR's Community Assistance Team helped support Toys-for-Tots once again this year. Not only did the CAT volunteers collect toys at their 4th annual banquet, as they have in previous years, but Mark Kalmanson and Jerry "G" (with emphasis on the "G") really went above and beyond the call of duty. They spent the entire week collecting toys from the stations and delivered them to the distribution center. All total, they collected 135 bags (approximately 2025 toys), 13 bikes and 3 huge stuffed animals.

Thanks, Jerry and Mark, you make a difference!!

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Posted on January 7th , 2009.

Ho, Ho, Ho for Habitat

On Saturday 12/20/08 members of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building spread a little Yuletide cheer while volunteering at a Habitat for Humanity project in Jupiter.

They joined forces to eradicate substandard housing in Palm Beach County by helping to build decent, affordable housing for deserving families. While on the work site at the Kennedy Estates subdivision they lifted and set the roof trusses into place and installed fascia. The next phase of the project will be to install the sheeting on the trusses. After that tar paper and shingles will complete the roof of the 3 bedroom two bath home.

Volunteering at a Habitat site is easy. Just listen to what Division Chief St. Pierre had to say, "Working for habitat makes it easy because all the hard stuff is taken care of. I show up and all of the building materials are at the site and there is someone there letting us know what they want done."

Habitat has built more than 300,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1.5 million people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter. HFHI was founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller along with his wife, Linda. The project in the Kennedy Estates subdivision which consists of 27 home sites is only one project that the local affiliate is working on. Other projects include: 2 homes in Green Acres, 2 homes in the town of Pahokee and a Kennedy Estates phase 2 project in Jupiter.

When asked why he participates in Habitat�s volunteer program Deputy Chief Randy Sheppard of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue had this to say, "The greatest single satisfaction of volunteering for Habitat is knowing that not only are you helping someone who needs help, but you are helping to build a community that will hopefully be there long after I pass from this world!"

There are many ways to support Habitat for Humanity and no construction experience is necessary. To find out more information call the local affiliate at 561 433-3351.

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Story and photos by Jack Norris
Posted on December 29th , 2008.

Christmas at St. Mary's Children's Hospital

The Palm Beach County FOOLS and friends made their 5th annual trip to St Mary's Children's Hospital today, December 23, with a delivery of toys and THE Santa Claus. Santa and his entourage of elves and helpers delivered toys to all of the children who are currently patients, some of who may not make it home for Christmas.

There were enough toys for the children's section of the hospital and for the pediatric emergency room.

We all enjoyed the smiling faces, the laughter and the parent's appreciation for us being there.

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Story and photos by Capt. Don Delucia, PIO
Posted on December 23rd , 2008.

Overturned Dump Truck in South Bay

On Monday December 22, 2008, units from station 74 along with DC-7 and EMS-7 were dispatched to an MVC possible overturned truck on SR-27 Southbound, 5 miles north of the county line. After a 20+ minute response, crews arrived to find a dumptruck on its side. The cargo of sand and gravel was spilled about the scene, and approximately 20 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled onto the ground. Crews switched the changeover valve to prevent any more fuel from leaking.

The dumptruck driver escaped the crash with minor injuries, he related "seat belts really do save lives"; a lesson for everyone.

(Please visit our website at the link below to view pictures associated with this article.)
Story and photos by EMS Captain Cameron Bucek
Posted on December 23rd , 2008.

Single Family Residence Fire in the Glades

Battalion 7 units responded to 1600 NW Avenue F Place in Belle Glade. E-73, E-73B, R-73, R-73B, DC-7, and EMS-7 arrived to a single family wood frame residence with heavy smoke from the eves. E-73 deployed an 1 3/4" handline and implemented a fast fire attack and knocked the main body of fire down. R-73 performed a primary search and DC-7 assumed Command. Crews assembled outside as a RIT, and R-73B set a ladder to side "D" to remove the attic vent during overhaul.

The fire was caused by careless cooking by the resident, and no injuries were reported. The family was turned over to the RED CROSS for assistance.

(Please visit our website at the link below to view pictures associated with this article.)
Story and photos by EMS Captain Cameron Bucek
Posted on December 22nd , 2008.

DBI Presented with Fire Rescue Plaques of Appreciation

On November 19th, members of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue�s, Station 73 (Belle Glade) showed their appreciation to the staff of DBI by presenting them with 2 plaques. Michael Hottinger, the Project Manager received one and the other for the staff.

DBI has allowed Fire Rescue to use the damaged guardrails and support components from the area's state roads for cutting practice. This type of practice is not only invaluable to our members but very hard to come by. In addition to practice for our members, DBI allowed the equipment committee to use these damaged parts to evaluate diamond tipped saw blades to be used on our saws during emergency operations.

DBI has a contract with the Department of Transportation (DOT) and is responsible for maintaining the State Roads within Florida.

E73, E73B and EMS7 participated in the presentation.

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Story and photos by District Chief Curtis Rice
Posted on December 19th , 2008.

All-In for Butch Smith Fundraising Event

On December 9th, Lieutenant Garland "Butch" Smith received a fund-raising check at Slainte Irish Pub in Boynton Beach, Florida from the organizers of the All In Event and members of the Firefighters Benevolent. The event, attended and well supported by the Firefighter's Benevolent, firefighters from PBCFR and many municipalities, members of the public and businesses raised $35,200 for Butch. It was a huge success thanks to ALL involved. These funds were desperately needed for mounting medical expenses associated with Butch's treatment for a rare and advanced form of cancer called Multiple Myeloma. Butch expressed his appreciation for not only this financial support but the huge emotional support that this event generated. He said he and his family cannot stop talking about what a great event it was and how many people came out in support. He is humbled and has said numerous times, he's at a loss for words because his gratitude is so deep.

Butch's medical condition has improved due to the cutting edge treatment and procedures he has received over the last 6 months. He is in partial remission now and hopeful to enter full remission with continued treatment. He will be traveling to Miami over the month of December for these continued treatment and of course 2009 will bring even more.

The All In Event organizers, Firefighter's Benevolent and Slainte are already focused on next years event. Mark your calendars for November 7th, Saturday, 2009. The All-In Event 2009 will raise funds, at least in part, for the Firefighter's Benevolent Fund. Please plan on attending this event. Future notifications are planned.

(Please visit our website at the link below to view pictures associated with this article.)

Posted on December 17th , 2008.

Toys for Tots - Stuff the Truck Project

Fire Rescue and the Marine Corps ran a one day promotion with the Toys-R-Us corporation and set up special detail rescue units at their four stores in Palm Beach County on Sunday, December 14th. Numerous toys were collected with their "Stuff the Truck" campaign and it definitely added extra merchandise for distribution to needy kids.

(Please visit our website at the link below to view pictures associated with this article.)

Posted on December 17th , 2008.

FOOLS Deliver Santa to WalMart in Royal Palm Beach

Saturday, December 6th, 2008, was a fun day for a handful of Fire Rescue employees and members of the Palm Beach County FOOLS. The FOOLS' antique engine delivered Santa to the Royal Palm Beach Wal Mart where he greeted children and their families as they did their holiday shopping at the store. Santa had fun with the kids as well as adults as can be seen in the pictures.

Digital photos were taken on the spot and printed the same morning by Wal Mart. Any donations that were given will be used to purchase toys for our trip to the St. Mary's Children�s Hospital on the 23rd.

(Please visit our website at the link below to view pictures associated with this article.)

Posted on December 15th , 2008.

Station 34 Wishes Everyone a Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from the crews at Station 34.

Posted on December 3rd , 2008.

Achilles Team Competes in the Marathon of the Palm Beaches

The wounded veterans of Achilles Freedom team were here to run in the Marathon of the Palm Beaches on 12/7/08. This was Palm Beach County Fire Rescue�s third year in assisting the team with their weekend in town (from 12/4-7/08).

Fire Rescue personnel and their families came by Station 23 to help assemble some of the bikes being used in the marathon and befriended many of team members and their families. Afterwards, a pasta dinner was available for everyone in attendance and the food was enjoyed by all!

The Achilles Freedom Team is an organization that promotes physical activity and sports to all veterans with disabilities. The team is comprised of members from all branches of service and service dates as far back as Vietnam up to and including the present. A couple team members this year were citizens that had never served but have disabilities that qualify them to be part of the Achilles Freedom Team.

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Story and photos by Charlotte Rebillard
Posted on December 9th , 2008.

Potentially Deadly Mobile Home Fire

These are some photos taken by IV-5 (Pam Summers). This mobile home fire appeared to be small and not anything unusual. It turned out to be quite a scene that could easily have been a disaster for numerous firefighters who were at the 4 am fire. The entire mobile home site at 5793 Tiffany Pl, WPB, was barricaded with locks, chains, cables, metal bars and two by fours. It took over four minutes alone to get through the gate to get into the property. No one knew the single-wide mobile home was a potential bomb. The owner, who was found inside the bedroom, had committed suicide after setting fire at one end of the mobile home. He poured somewhere between 20 and 30 gallons of gasoline throughout the trailer and had the equivalent of five propane tanks turned on, inside and outside by the stairs.

At one point, over a dozen firefighters had been in or near the structure trying to get in to locate a possible victim. Luck was with all of them due to the fact that the atmosphere inside was so rich, it couldn't conduct combustion for very long let alone explode. This was one for the memory books of PBCFR. Media coverage made a point of showing how dangerous our jobs can be.

Units on scene included E23, Q29, E24, E34, R24, EMS10, DC10, BC9.

(Please visit our website at the link below to view pictures associated with this article.)
Story by Captain Don Delucia, PIO; photos by Investigator Pam Summers.
Posted on December 9th , 2008.

Spahls Serve a Cup of Closure for Community

If you recall the media blitz surrounding 5 year old autistic girl, Kaitlin Bacile, who strayed from her home only to be found in a nearby canal in Wellington, it was a sad tale to experience: especially for neighborhood residents.

But when it came to the community pulling together to try and help the family, volunteers showed up by the hundreds while the search for the little girl unfolded. The sudden news of Kaitlynn's death was almost too much to bear. That's when 9 year old Dillan Spahl, son of Firefighter/Paramedic Eric Spahl of R23, decided that he would raise money for the family by serving lemonade at the neighborhood corner.

Eric, his wife and his family of four are not only involved with their community but Dillan is a member of Pack 165 of the local Boy Scouts. Together they caused the community to pull together once more as motorists pulled up for their cup of lemonade and a small piece of closure. Within hours over $3,300 was raised for the family with the help of Cub Scout Pack 165 members.

The generosity of the community can only be matched by the initiative of the Spahls in the way that they provided the means for countless neighborhood folks to channel their emotions and offer closure to a community in mourning.

The Customer Service TEAM continues to recognize our fire rescue members that "go the extra mile" whether they are in uniform or not. That's what makes the fire service so special ... we're never off duty especially when it comes to serving our community!

We would like to offer special thanks to Eric, Dillan and the entire Spahl family for stepping up when people counted on it the most!

(Please visit our website at the link below to view pictures associated with this article.)

Posted on December 8th , 2008.

Commercial Structure Fire in Pahokee

On Saturday, November 29, 2008, at 11:59 am, units from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue stations 72, 73, 74, 24, and 29 responded to a commercial structure fire in the City of Pahokee. Crews arrived to find some fire and heavy smoke coming from the windows of a single-story office building. No one was inside of the building at the time of the fire.

Due to the old construction of the building, it took the crews about an hour to contain the fire. The building sustained major fire and smoke damage. The preliminary cause of the fire appears to be electrical in nature, and although it is being investigated by the Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Bomb/Arson Investigations Division, it is not labeled as suspicious.

Units on scene: E72, E73, E73B, E74, T72, Q29, LA24, R73, R74, BC7, DC7, EMS7, IV4

(Please visit our website at the link below to view pictures associated with this article.)
Story by Capt. Craig Prusansky, photos by DC Curtis Rice, Capt. Craig Prusansky, and Driver/Engineer James Ebenhack
Posted on December 1st , 2008.