City officials invite area residents to join them next week in a celebration of the Fort Walton Beach Fire Department’s new fire engine.
City officials used $530,000 in half-cent sales tax money to pay for the 2020 engine, which can pump 1,500 gallons of water per minute and carries a full complement of firefighting, rescue and emergency medical tools and equipment.
Fort Walton Beach officials said in a news release that the new engine will be fully staffed with four firefighter-EMTs and paramedics each shift and is licensed to provide advanced life support medical care. Staffing was made possible by the city’s new fire services assessment, which was implemented at the start of this year.
The additional personnel and the capabilities of the new fire engine will create better coverage and faster multi-unit response times throughout the city and surrounding areas, city officials said.