Latest news with #SmilesBehindtheShieldAward
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Daphne firefighters rescue families by boat during severe flooding, receive Smiles Behind the Shield Award
DAPHNE, Ala. (WKRG) — It's been more than two weeks since major flooding shut down roads in Baldwin County after heavy rain made its way to the Gulf Coast. Mobile County Sheriff's Office K-9 and sergeant educate students on internet safety, receive Smiles Behind the Shield Award A video shows three Daphne firefighters navigating a rescue boat through Spanish Fort neighborhoods during the flash flooding that trapped people in their homes earlier this month. 'We were able to get in contact with the family,' Capt. Joseph Staska said. 'It was two adults and a child, and then later on, we ended up coming in contact with a couple more individuals as well.' In all, 11 people and a dog were rescued on the Eastern Shore that night. Helping out surrounding agencies is something Daphne Fire is used to doing. 'They know what kind of materials we have, training we have, and sometimes they need us to supplement their training and expertise,' Staska said. 'So they come to us, we go to them.' Our Smiles Behind the Shield winners, Capt. Joseph Staska, engineers Grant Everhart and Tyler Harrison said the rescue boat is a fairly new piece of equipment for their department, a vital tool to help save lives on the Eastern Shore. 'It just started about three years ago, so we're learning and as we learn; we go out, and we go like to our neighboring departments,' Everhart said. 'We were called at Robertsville the other day. We provide that service. So if you have a water emergency, whether it be flood or you're in a boat accident or anything, you call and we're going to come.' 'It's awesome to be able to serve the citizens of Daphne and help them any way we can,' Harrison said. got a closer look at their fully loaded boat. 'It's a 15-foot Inmar. It's an inflatable with a rigged bottom,' Everhart said as he showed us around. It may look small, but it fits 10 people. 'We utilize this in flood water situations because we can actually take it off the trailer by hand and then we can launch it in rougher water on the causeway,' Everhart said. 'Most of the time we go out there it seems to be when it's bad weather, so this boat can take on water then drain through the hole called scuppers, so that allows us not to sink.' There's a black bag at the front of the boat that holds things like life jackets, helmets, headlamps and binoculars with an EMS bag and oxygen tank attached to it. 'It's proved worthy,' Daphne Fire Chief LeAnn Tacon said. 'We had situations where there were people needing to be rescued out on the water, and we couldn't get to them, so that's when we went to the mayor and council and said, you know, can we get a boat? And it's worked well. I mean, we've used it quite a few times.' Since March 2022, 23 people and three dogs have been rescued. Twin brothers with Prichard Fire-Rescue win over Girl Scout troop 'I'm proud of these guys, they take it seriously and train a lot with it,' Chief Tacon said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Patrolling paradise: Gulf Shores police enter spring break home stretch
GULF SHORES, Ala. (WKRG) — Spring break is winding down along the Alabama Coast, but that doesn't mean things are slowing down for law enforcement. Daphne firefighters rescue families by boat during severe flooding, receive Smiles Behind the Shield Award spent the day riding along with officers on the beach to get a firsthand look at how they're wrapping up the busy season and gearing up for what's next. Gulf Shores police officer Darren Baker has patrolled these beaches for years. He said this spring break has been smooth sailing for the most part thus far. 'It's been pretty busy. We have seen a more calmer group of college kids,' Baker said. 'During the spring break, my main focus is the alcohol and the groups of people that are causing disturbances, getting into fights, getting highly intoxicated.' From checking for alcohol to enforcing beach ordinances, spring break certainly keeps officers on their toes. And as the college crowds pack up and head home, officers are already looking ahead to the next wave. 'We are preparing for the women's volleyball NCAA tournament. That's always fun,' Baker said. 'And then, of course, after that, we go right into the Sand in My Boots.' Whether it's spring breakers, summer tourists or locals enjoying the coast, Gulf Shores police said they're ready for anything. 'We want family and kids to come down here and not have to be exposed to the spring break rowdiness, even summertime rowdiness,' Baker said. 'We just don't put up with it because this is a staple to our community.' 'Volleyball Jesus' sculpture removed in Gulf Shores, search begins for new home So while spring break may be coming to a close, for police along the coast, the busy season is just starting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
Mobile County Sheriff's Office K-9 and sergeant educate students on internet safety, receive Smiles Behind the Shield Award
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — A K-9 with the Mobile County Sheriff's Office and her handler have a unique approach to fighting internet crimes against children. K-9 Estie and Sgt. Laura Grantham make up the dynamic duo. Although Estie may be a sweet, four-legged law enforcement officer known for giving out free hugs, don't let her fool you; she's got a serious job to do. Twin brothers with Prichard Fire-Rescue win over Girl Scout troop Estie helps the Sheriff's Office track down hidden electronic storage devices that suspects try to keep out of sight. 'She finds flash drives, hard drives and SD cards,' Grantham said. 'We work mainly internet crimes against children cases.' It's continuous training that prepares Estie and Grantham for these kinds of cases. '365 days a year we train,' Grantham said. 'She gets a handful of kibble for every device she finds three cups a day,' Grantham said. 'And we're not doing search warrants every day and she's not able to eat that way so we find different places to play hide and seek.' When the two of them are not working a case, they spend their time at schools in Mobile County educating students on the do's and don'ts of the internet. 'What we try to do is try to get those conversations about being safe online and the importance of being safe online and the dangers that children can face because they're online, younger and younger,' Grantham said. 'Estie is also cross-trained as a comfort dog for child abuse victims. She's a distressing dog for first responders and anybody who really wants to be around her; she's literally like a weighted blanket.' Estie has her own collection of books, games and other goodies to keep students engaged in the important lesson. Now, surprising a first responder for our Smiles Behind the Shield segment isn't always easy, but one way to do it is by setting up a fake interview — which is what we did. 'Surprise and congratulations,' the crowd said. 'Oh my gosh, what are you doing?' Grantham said with excitement. Okaloosa County School Resource Officer leaves lasting impact on students, receives Smiles Behind the Shield Award 'You are a hard-working employee, you're a pleasure to work with everyday, you volunteer your time, do all the extra duties that you don't have to and we're grateful to have you and all your expertise that you bring along with your many years of service,' MCSO Chief Deputy Andrew Peak said. 'You go above and beyond, and really that is inspiring to us at CSU, and I know to your community at large,' Kay Jenkins with Columbia Southern University said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Twin brothers with Prichard Fire-Rescue win over Girl Scout troop
PRICHARD, Ala. (WKRG) — A couple of Prichard firefighters have won over a local Girl Scout troop but not by buying cookies. Instead, they offered them quality time — something money can't buy. Okaloosa County School Resource Officer leaves lasting impact on students, receives Smiles Behind the Shield Award 'You can change the lives of kids all around, and it makes me want to continue to do this,' Prichard firefighter Mykyle McCaskill said. Mykyle and his twin brother, Michael, were invited to speak with the Girl Scout troop from Truelight Missionary Baptist Church and educate them on fire safety. 'We have 24 Girl Scouts, which is a pretty good-sized troop,' Denise Boykin said. 'We were looking for something to be educational and fun, so we invited Prichard Fire.' Without hesitation, the McCaskill brothers brought out the fire truck and their gear. They even showed the young ladies how to use the fire hose. 'They came and spent time individually with each girl and each volunteer,' Boykin said. The girls enjoyed them so much that they've already been invited back. 'I was impressed with how much they love what they do,' Boykin said. 'They respect firefighting, and they made it fun for us.' 'It means a lot to me to get up every day and do what I do,' Michael said. 'Try to inspire young kids to do something with themselves, stay out of trouble.' Final Salute to WKRG's 2024 Smiles Behind the Shield award recipients Leading by example is something Prichard Fire Chief Rodrick Shoots said they both do well, which is why we presented them with our Smiles Behind the Shield Award. 'I'm very proud of these two young men,' Shoots said. 'They're both great individuals, and they have great leadership skill,s and I look for them to do good things in the future.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School alumni say goodbye before its demolition
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School alumni came together for the building's retirement ceremony Thursday night to say goodbye before their school is torn down. The building has been on Springhill Avenue since 1949 and functioned as a school until 1986. Mobile County Public School Board approves 2025-2026 academic calendar options Since the school closed, the building was then used for prayer groups, faith formation and discipleship formation. 'It has served a lot of people,' Father Fred Boni said. After the school's demolition, St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church will use the vacant space as a parking lot. Father Boni said due to more people coming to noon mass, a bigger parking lot will be beneficial as it could also bring in more people from the area. Okaloosa County School Resource Officer leaves lasting impact on students, receives Smiles Behind the Shield Award 'We want to have that space, not only for our Spanish community, but we want to grow our English community,' Father Boni said. 'We want to have a ton of people here,' he continued. The ceremony began at 6 p.m. Thursday and started with mass. After mass, there was a reception with an opportunity to walk through the building of the school. Lawsuit filed against Northwest Florida doctor, hospital staff accused of deadly wrong organ removal surgery The school's alumni took time to reconnect afterward. Father Boni said even though the retirement ceremony was held on Thursday, the actual demolition will not start for another two to three weeks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
