Latest news with #PalmBeachFire-Rescue
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
What's new with Palm Beach Fire-Rescue this season? Fire station, alerts and more
New facilities, vehicles and technology have been in the spotlight this season for Palm Beach Fire-Rescue. A major renovation and rehabilitation of Palm Beach's North Fire Station at 300 N. County Road was completed, paving the way for crews to fully move in and begin using the facility this spring. The $17 million renovation took nearly three years, and crews operated out of a temporary station throughout the work. "So for the very short term, we've been able to have everybody under one roof again here at North Fire," said Assistant Fire Chief Joe Sekula, Fire-Rescue spokesman. Having the crews and vehicles in permanent quarters has been a relief, he said, noting that there were space constraints for both people and equipment, and the vehicles were more vulnerable to the effects of the outdoors and salty sea air, leading to more maintenance. The fire station, built in 1927, required significant repairs, and upgrades were included in that process, Sekula said. The new firehouse has a Plymovent air-handling system that removes vehicle exhaust from the bays, he said. The bay doors also were improved to open horizontally instead of rising up, like residential garage doors — a process that made it take much longer for trucks to leave the station, because the solid wood doors were so heavy, Sekula said. "The great thing about the station has been that while we have reinforced and redone the station to bring it up to modern standards, we also pride ourselves in that we've been able to preserve the history of the station as well," he said. "We didn't want to totally bring it back and not harness some of that history." Palm Beach's North Fire Station is officially open and in use at 300 N. County Road on April 2, following a nearly three-year, $17 million renovation. Some of those modern improvements can be seen in the living space, where crews spend a significant amount of time. The changes range from the functional — a state-of-the-art kitchen and dining room — to the more aesthetic: there are places where the original brick walls are exposed. "Our firefighters are here 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days out of the year," Sekula said. "It's a constant use over and over and over." A new alert system in the station provides more detail and a more visual, as well as audible, cue that there is an emergency call, he said. Inside the bay, new timer boards tell crews how long it takes them to get out the door. "We measure everything in seconds," Sekula said. Speaking of seconds — Sekula said the department has launched several systems using new-to-the-island technology to help keep response times low amid the issues with traffic in Palm Beach. A Palm Beach Fire Rescue truck is parked at the North Fire Station on April 23. Fire-Rescue crews are able to control traffic signals so that they change in favor of emergency vehicles, he said. The department at the beginning of the season began using a new system called HAAS Alert, which notifies compatible vehicle infotainment systems and navigation apps — vehicles made by Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Volkswagen, and people who use Apple Maps or Waze — that an emergency vehicle is approaching. "We deployed that as a trial on one unit of our engines, and it's worked so well that we've decided that we're going to add this to all of our units," Sekula said. Both tools allow Fire-Rescue crews to respond quickly, even when traffic might be gridlocked, he said. Also new this season: A quick response vehicle that can be used to quickly navigate to medical calls when traffic is backed up. Because it is narrower and smaller, Sekula said it can take a small crew to a call, make contact with a patient and even carry a person on a stretcher back to a waiting emergency vehicle for more treatment or to go to a hospital. That's in addition to a state-of-the-art emergency response vehicle worth $75,000 donated to the town by the Trump Organization this spring. The gift of the EMS Paramedic Responder vehicle was made through the Palm Beach Police & Fire Foundation. The Trump Organization gifted a new EMS Paramedic Responder to the Palm Beach Police & Fire Foundation for the town's Fire-Rescue Department. The vehicle, valued at more than $75,000, accommodates five passengers and includes a stretcher. Capping off a busy season of training and recertifications, Palm Beach's Fire-Rescue formed its first competition RIT, or Rapid Intervention Team, Sekula said. After their first competition earlier this year, the team is set to compete again in a statewide event at Palm Beach State College, he added. "They did very well for their first outing, and they were very well-respected for what they did, in being in their first competition," he said. The department made great progress this season on its automated external defibrillator, or AED, initiative, with 293 registered devices on the island, Sekula said. "For the size of our island, to be able to have that many registered AEDs, it's just amazing," he said. It's part of a larger initiative with Fire-Rescue working with the Palm Beach Police & Fire Foundation's Safeguard Palm Beach division to place 500 defibrillators throughout town. Safeguard Palm Beach delivers the defibrillators, and Fire-Rescue staff then train the residents or business owners how to use the devices to treat people who experience sudden cardiac arrest. The town started with places defibrillators in homes, then moved to condominiums, then public spaces and outdoor areas, Sekula said. "The goal is to be the safest community around," he said. "Anyone that would need an AED, wherever that emergency happens, we want there to be an AED close by that can be used." Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@ Subscribe today to support our journalism. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: What's new with Palm Beach Fire-Rescue this season?
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Elite Palm Beach Fire-Rescue team takes part in statewide rescue competition
Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Lt. Walter Arcila braced himself as he used a circular saw to cut through a reinforced door. With his vision obscured, firefighter Lex May navigated quickly through a narrow tube. Also with his sight blocked, firefighter Tom Ardito launched himself through a small opening in a wall. The trio were among 10 Palm Beach Fire-Rescue personnel who participated in the Rapid Intervention Team competition on May 1 at Palm Beach State College near Lake Worth Beach. Two teams from Palm Beach took part in the Palm Beach State Invitational competition: Team 1 of Lts. Arcila and Stephen Montoya with firefighters Ardito, Austin Bohn and May; and Team 2 of Lts. Michael Bennett and Daniel DiRocco with firefighters Ryan Allen, Bruce Martin and Alex Park. The teams completed a grueling course with challenges that included breaking through a reinforced door, navigating tight spaces and rescuing a mock victim while in blackout conditions. Town of Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Rapid Intervention team members, firefighter Lex May, from right, Lt. Walter Arcila, firefighter Austin Bohn, firefighter Thomas Ardito, and Lt. Stephen Montoya, discuss their strategy for the RIT competition at Palm Beach State College on May 1. This was the second RIT competition for Palm Beach, which formed its first Rapid Intervention Team within the past year. Team members go through grueling training to be part of the team, said Assistant Fire Chief Joe Sekula, Fire-Rescue spokesman. While Palm Beach's pair of teams did well, they did not advance past the competition's first day, he said. While wearing a blackout mask that totally impedes his vision, a member of the Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) throws his body through a tiny window during the competition. "However, with just two competitions under their belt, they have already made a name for themselves and they are already looking forward to the next competition in Orlando in January," Sekula said. "They will take everything that they learned here and incorporate that into their training." The training is very specialized and results in an "elite" fire-rescue unit, he said. Sparks fly as Fire-Rescue Lt. Walter Arcila cuts through rebar. "That's very labor-intensive as you can imagine," Sekula said. "We are super proud of them!" Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Team 1 took first place, with Broward Sheriff's Office Fire Rescue Team 2 coming in second, according to the rankings released by Palm Beach State College. In third place was Largo Fire Rescue. Town of Palm Beach firefighter Lex May takes a knee before competing. The RIT competition was part of the larger Palm Beach State Invitational that took place throughout the weekend at Palm Beach State College's main campus near Lake Worth Beach. Teams also competed in vehicle rescue, emergency medical services and rope rescues. Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@ Subscribe today to support our journalism. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Rapid Intervention Team takes on competition
