Multiple City of Miami firefighters fall victim to car burglars

Multiple vehicles were targeted early Thursday morning outside a City of Miami Fire Station near Miami International Airport. Miami police responded to the call around 6 a.m. and said they found several burglarized vehicles outside the station. There was a number of trucks with broken windows and shattered glass all across the lot along Northwest Seventh Street and Le Jeune Road. There was also a hammer and pry-bar found at the scene. Authorities have not confirmed what was stolen from the vehicles.
WPLG-TV ABC Local10.com - Miami & Fort Lauderdale

St. Petersburg: Team running the Skyway 10K, carrying the weight of hundreds of fallen firefighters

VIDEO: In its three years, the Skyway 10K has seen thousands of participants. A few have traveled the bridge each year, like friends and firefighters Tom "Bull" Hill and Mike Junge. Hill walks the Skyway to honor firefighters who lost their lives to cancer and PTSD. Hill walked the Skyway in 2018 with a pack covered in the names, shields and objects from firefighters who had died from cancer or suicides related to PTSD. His goal was to bring awareness and change. Now, with laws covering PTSD and cancer for firefighters, Hill walks a little lighter, despite having even more packs. "It's great sharing it with other people, you know. You can actually smile a little bit and say, ya we've made a couple changes," said Hill. He set out on a mission after he lost a friend, a firefighter brother, to cancer.
WTSP-TV CBS 10 ST. Petersburg

Tampa Fire Station 13 gets new truck to help lower response times

One of the busiest fire stations in Hillsborough County has received a new fire truck to help lower response times for people in New Tampa. The new vehicle for Tampa Fire Station 13 is an additional full rescue unit vehicle. "This will come with new personnel to help offset the tremendous stress that the men and women of Station 13 endure every single day," said Councilman Luis Viera on his Facebook page. Now Viera is calling on city leaders to "finish the job" by getting a Master Plan study in place for all of public safety, including police, fire and EMS. "So we can know all of our deficits and how to build a bridge to remedy those deficits," Viera said on Facebook.
WFTS-TV ABC Action News

Lake County Fire Rescue honors three lieutenants

Three Lake County Fire Rescue personnel were among those honored for their dedication to service during the annual awards banquet that recognizes police officers, firefighters and K9 officers who went above and beyond the line of duty during the past year. The event, which takes place at Eustis Elks Lodge 1578, has been honoring first responders for 17 years. Lake County Fire Rescue Lt. Albert Howard, Lt. Brian Merkle, and Lt. Ross Pinkerton were all recipients of the Firefighter of the Year award during the Feb. 17 event. As there were three award recipients at this year’s event, each will display the plaque at their station for four months.
Lake and Sumter Style Magazine

Man allegedly tries to burn down Fort Walton Beach hotel room

Fort Walton Beach Police Officers responded to the Days Inn Hotel on Miracle Strip Parkway Thursday after a report of attempted arson. Officers discovered that Miguel Antonio Gonzalez-Montes, 24, of Okaloosa County was involved in a physical altercation with his pregnant girlfriend, according to a press release from the Fort Walton Beach Police Department. Following the altercation, Montes left the property and later returned with a container of gasoline and began to poor the gasoline on the exterior of the hotel room. His girlfriend and five children smelled the odor of gasoline and opened the door. Montes fled the scene. His girlfriend called the police, the release said.
Ft. Walton Beach: Northwest Florida News

Tequesta girl becomes firefighter for a day

A 4-year-old Tequesta girl became a firefighter for a day on Thursday! Tequesta Fire Rescue surprised Abby Essaye by showing up at her home in the morning, swearing her in as an honorary firefighter, then giving her a ride to school in a firetruck. "About six years ago, we decided that we wanted to help the local schools raise money for books and supplies and things like that, so we decided to start a program where we would bring kids to school on the fire engine," said Lt. David McGovern. Through the department's Firefighters Supporting Education program, the Good Sheppard School, which Abby attends, held a silent auction to raise money for the school. One of the auction items was a ride to school on a firetruck, which Abby won.
WFLX-TV FOX 29 West Palm Beach

1 person in serious condition, 2 dogs dead after house fire in Tampa

Tampa firefighters battled a massive blaze in the VM Ybor neighborhood just after 6 p.m. Wednesday. Crews rushing to the home knew several people were trapped inside. When they pulled up, they had to navigate around a downed power line near the driveway. "Anytime you are confronted with electricity and chain link fences, that's always a big hazard for firefighters because those chain link fences you could be a block down the road and energize an entire block if those fences are touching," Assistant Fire Chief Mark Bogus said. Officials said one person was pulled out unconscious and is in serious condition. A woman was also taken to the Tampa General Hospital for smoke inhalation and other injuries. Bogush said a good Samaritan helped pull that woman out of a window. Several dogs were inside the home. At least two died in the fire.
WFTS-TV ABC 28 Tampa Bay

Crestview Fire Department saves woman’s finger

A 38-year-old was rushed to the hospital Monday after a ring cut off circulation to her hand, causing intense swelling. Erika Simmons, a Crestview resident, was wearing a stainless steel ring, when her aunt, Terry Kemp, became concerned about her finger. Kemp rushed her to the emergency room of North Okaloosa Medical Center. The hospital did not have the correct tools to remove the ring because it was stainless steel, but the hospital suggested the Crestview Fire Department. They arrived at Fire Station 3, near the emergency room about 9 p.m. Kemp said the firefighters did not have the correct equipment, a Dremel tool, so she went out and bought it. In less than five minutes, firefighters cut the ring off. Kemp said Simmon’s hand “was completely white” after the fire department took off the ring. “They literally saved her finger,” Kemp said.
Crestview News Bulletin

Longboat Key’s firefighters try yoga, with help of experts, to reduce stress at work

“Inhale up over your head and straighten your front leg. Take a big breath, straighten your front leg. Exhale, back and looking over your front arm. Yeah,” Debby McClung said rhythmically. “Turn your palm up, let’s do that again. Inhale, rise. Exhale, down. Look over your front arm. Powerful posture.” These aren’t words you expect to hear in a fire station. But such words of instruction and encouragement were heard often during a five-session yoga class, spanning five weeks, that was conducted at Longboat Key's north fire station. Longboat Key firefighters pose during a yoga session Jan. 30. McClung, the owner of Feel Good Yoga & Massage and a yoga instructor, and Sidney Turner, a psychologist and the founder of Resilient Retreat, teamed up to offer the class to some firefighters.
Your Observer.com Newspapers

Woman, twins escape house fire near Winter Park

Fire crews said the woman and two 11-year-old children were sleeping inside the home on Elsinore Avenue when the fire broke out Thursday morning. Crews said about half the house was in flames when they arrived and the car port was almost completely burned. Smoke damage was also found inside the home, which officials said is not currently habitable. While searching the home, firefighters also found the family’s dog and removed it from the burning home. The dog is expected to be OK, crews said. Fire officials said there were no smoke detectors inside the home and if the woman hadn’t woken from the smell and gotten the children out, things could have been much worse. The fire appears to have been accidental, officials said.
WKMG-TV CBS 6 Click Orlando

What’s the point of doing prescribed burns in Southwest Florida?

February, March, and April are often the driest months of the year in Southwest Florida. Though this also makes up what many consider to be the nicest time of the year in our piece of paradise, it comes at a cost. Dry weather in Southwest Florida increases the threat of wildfires and that risk is highest during the stretch of months we're entering now. With each so-called "fire season" that comes and goes, our office is often asked why firefighters intentionally set fires that people hear about on TV. These fires are referred to as controlled or prescribed burns because they are set for a purpose, and if everything goes to plan will remain within their predetermined boundaries. The most important reason to the average Southwest Floridian at home why controlled or prescribed burns are set is a big one.
WBBH-TV NBC 2 Fort Myers