Riviera Beach firefighters temporarily moved again over potential mold concerns

PHOTOS: Months after a Riviera Beach fire station was deemed unsafe to work out of due to mold, firefighters who returned to Station 88 a month ago have now been moved again. Last week, employees discovered some concerns in the air plenum that the air ducts run into at the fire station on Blue Heron Blvd. "Behind those plenums which have been sealed since the build of the station, there was some concerns brought to the attention of fire administration," said Riviera Beach Interim Fire Chief John Curd. The city had a professional consulting firm come in the next day and develop a plan for action, but said the crew could stay in the dormitory. "We’ve had at least one employee who has been hospitalized," said Scott Bielecky, President of Professional Firefighters and Paramedics of Palm Beach County back in March.
WPTV-TV NBC 5 West Palm Beach

Woman killed when car goes airborne for 75 feet, crashes into Halifax River in Daytona Beach

VIDEO: A woman was killed Tuesday when her car went airborne and crashed into the Halifax River in Daytona Beach, according to police. Officials said Shanna Ferring died in the crash, which happened around 9:50 a.m. on the east side of what will be the Orange Avenue Bridge near Silver Beach Avenue and Peninsula Drive. According to Daytona Beach police, Ferring appeared to be traveling at a high rate of speed in a four-door Kia, which was driven through a construction zone, went airborne for 75 feet, struck a concrete pylone and submerged in the water. Firefighters pulled Ferring from the car and she was pronounced dead. Authorities said it's believed she died upon impact, but an autopsy will determine her official cause of death.
WKMG-TV CBS 6 Click Orlando

Fire chief warns North Port City Commission about ballooning costs

Between a proposed millage rate increase, bumps to the road and drainage, solid waste and fire fee districts, as well as an increase in his property value, Greg Culy said that he’s facing as much as an 18 percent increase in his property tax bill. Commissioners, on the first of three days of budget workshops, were sympathetic but, as Mayor Chris Hanks noted, some of the increases Culy and other homeowners would see are a result of city commissioners keeping tax rates and fee increases artificially low. The perfect illustration of that dilemma was outlined by North Port Fire Rescue Chief Scott Titus and consultant Erick van Malssen of Stantec, who explained that decisions by previous boards to throttle back the potential increase in the fire fee, including a 5.37 percent reduction in the 2016-17 fiscal year, resulted in the need to increase the fee by 9 percent in each of the next four years, to make sure the department has enough money to provide existing level of service by 2023.
Herald Tribune

American Heart Association awards Fort Myers Beach Fire Department

The American Heart Association's Mission Lifeline Emergency Medical Service recognition program has recognized the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department for the second year in a row. In addition to being awarded the American Heart Association's award for its STEMI care and systems, the department qualified for a Gold level award and received a Plus designation for stroke patient care. The FMBFD is one of only 42 Florida agencies to ever be given this award. "We are excited that our efforts in patient care excellence have been recognized by the American Heart Association," The FMBFD said in a press release. "We would like to thank all of the dedicated Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics who make a difference in our community every day."
Fort Myers Beach Observer

Cat Café donates pet oxygen mask to Lake County Fire Rescue

Lake County Fire Rescue is more equipped to save all nine lives, after receiving a "paw-some" donation for pets. Cat Café donated two pet oxygen mask kits to the rescue Tuesday, in recognition of National Pet Fire Safety Day. Commissioner Sean Parks joined a group of firefighters at the fire rescue to accept the donation. "Each year, more than 500,000 pets are affected by house fires and our hope is that the donation of these masks will help save precious pet lives," said Sandy Caga, Cat Café owner. Cat Café is the first of its kind in Central Florida. Visitors can travel to Clermont and enjoy a cup of coffee alongside adoptable cats. For every purchase made, a portion of the proceeds are donated to assist homeless cats at SPCA Florida.
Click Orlando

Miami-Dade firefighters rescue 4 residents from burning home

VIDEO: A South Florida family was rescued Tuesday morning after their home went up in flames. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said the fire was reported around 8 a.m. at the home on Northwest 13th Avenue in North Miami. Officials said seven people were inside the home when it caught fire. Four of the residents couldn't get out on their own, keeping them trapped inside the smoke-filled home. "Some of the people were still in the bedrooms, trapped inside," Miller said. "Our first unit's priority was to get the victims out of the home." Sky 10 was above the scene as emergency crews worked to remove the bars from the windows as smoke poured out of the home. Officials said no one was seriously injured and needed to be taken to the hospital thanks in part to an immediate call to 911 and a fast emergency response.
Local 10-TV DMV

Lightning may have sparked massive scrap metal fire in Orange County, fire marshal says

VIDEO: A pile of scrap metal caught fire Monday afternoon at a recycling facility in Orange County's Lockhart neighborhood sending plumes of thick, black smoke into the air. The fire marshal said Tuesday that lightning may have sparked the blaze. The investigation into the official cause is continuing. Skywitness 9 showed massive flames shooting upward and smoke billowing into the sky, which could be seen from miles away. Witness Colton Franklin described the plume as a "gaping cloud of black." "It was big. It was intense looking," he said. The fire was reported shortly before 4:45 p.m. at the facility on Apopka Boulevard near North Orange Blossom Trail and Maitland Boulevard. Carrie Proudfit, with Orange County Fire Rescue, said the first 911 calls reported flames shooting up to 30 feet high.
WFTV-TV ABC 9 Orlando

Jacksonville: Investigators suspect arson in Westside house fire

A neighbor’s doorbell camera captured flames destroying a home on Sonora Drive in Jacksonville Tuesday. “It looked like it started in the back, then it just got huge,” neighbor Mike Ohren said. The flashing lights of emergency vehicles lining the road woke him and other families. The fire chief tells Action News Jax no one was home when firefighters got there. He said the roof collapsed and the damage inside was extensive. “Luckily the houses are far apart and it’s a block home so everything was kind of upward,” Ohren said. Action News Jax watched as fire marshal investigators and a K-9 searched for clues about what started the fire.
WTEV-TV 47 News

Man Critically Injured After Jumping Off Miami Causeway

A man was critically injured Monday after he apparently jumped off the MacArthur Causeway, which links downtown Miami to Miami Beach. The incident happened shortly before 9:30 a.m., according to Captain Ignatius Carroll, Jr. of Miami Fire Rescue. "MFR units arrived and began searching the area of Biscayne Bay near the Port of Miami," he said. "According to a witness, she observed an adult male jump off the highest point of the bridge and called 9-1-1." Fire crews took up positions on the bridge and along the shoreline while search crews from the Miami Fire Rescue Dive Team and Fireboat 15 focused on Biscayne Bay. Multiple law enforcement agencies as well as Miami-Dade Fire Rescue assisted in the search. "After an extensive and thorough search, MFR personnel and divers located the patient near the impact area and removed him from the water," Carroll said.
Patch Florida

Human chain forms to rescue couple from rip current in Panama City Beach

A human chain formed to help rescue a man and woman who got caught in rip currents in Panama City Beach. It happened Sunday around 11 a.m. and was captured on video by vacationer Brian Daniels. Witnesses say the man and woman ventured out into the water while the double red flags were flying, warning against swimming because of rip currents as Tropical Storm Barry made its way through the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall in Louisiana. Beachgoers and rescue personnel formed a human chain to try and reach the swimmers, and at least one rescuer was shown on video trying to swim out to the pair. Daniels said a sheriff's deputy almost died helping and had to be rescued himself. The rescue of the swimmers was a success, Daniels said, and everyone was pulled to safety. Panama City Beach Fire Rescued issued a plea to swimmers to heed the warnings after getting multiple calls for swimmers in distress. "The decision to ignore the warnings has impacts far beyond the swimmer that becomes distressed," they posted on social media.
Fox 13 News