 Every year, the Key West Fire Department proclaims all of October as Fire Prevention Month. And each year generous businesses in the community donate smoke alarms to ensure the safety of our community.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, there were 3,670 fire deaths in the U.S. in 2023. Smoke alarms are one of the most important ways to avoid fire deaths. The Key West Fire Department takes fire prevention seriously all year long. During Fire Prevention Month, members of the department reach out to the community and to school children, teaching the best practices for fire safety. This week members of the Fire Department accepted a donation of smoke alarms from the Opal Key Resort. Each year, the resort, along with Strunk Ace Hardware, donate alarms that the Department can distribute free to the community. Fire Marshal Jason Barroso wants to remind the community that the detectors are available at the Central Fire Station #1 at 1600 North Roosevelt Blvd. “We want to thank Chris Guay and D.J. McCarthy of Opal Key Resort as well as Andy Strunk of Strunk Ace Hardware for generously donating the detectors,” said Barroso. “Stay safe and always have a fire safety plan.”
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 Standing -- City Manager Brian L. Barroso, Commissioner Monica Haskell and Lissette Carey, Mayor Danise “DeeDee” Henriquez, Fire Chief Alan Averette, Division Chief Jason Barroso, Vice Mayor Donie Lee, Commissioner Aaron Castillo, Lt. Dereck Berger, Capt. Thomas Bouchard, and Commissioner Sam Kaufman. Kneeling: Lt. Michael Anderson and Capt. Tim Anson. Key West Mayor Danise “DeeDee” Henriquez and the City Commission, during their regular meeting, proclaimed October 9th the 150th anniversary of the Key West Fire Department.
Initially established as a volunteer fire company in 1834, the citizens of Key West reorganized it into a fire department in 1875 with 103 firefighters. In April of 2015, the Key West Fire Department integrated Emergency Medical Services into the Fire Department, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness for residents and visitors. Today the Key West Fire Department is a Class #1 ISO Rated Fire Department, the highest achievable public protection classification and a distinction held by less than one percent of fire departments nationwide. Rapid response times, outstanding and continuous training, and much more have earned the rating, which translates to insurance rate savings for home and business owners. Over the past 150 years, the members of the Key West Fire Department have demonstrated courage, dedication, and selfless service, making ultimate sacrifices to protect the lives and property of the community. On Saturday, October 11th, the Fire Department will be hosting an anniversary celebration at the Truman Waterfront from 1-4 p.m. There will be a parade of the departments’ equipment, food, demonstrations, and family-fun activities.
The Key West Fire Department today visits the Basilica School to kick off Fire Prevention week.
Some 150 kids from pre-K through first grade heard about the importance of smoke detectors and other important safety tips. They also got a chance to meet Sparky, the fire prevention dog. They also got a chance to explore the vital lifesaving equipment operated by our fire department. Lt. Michael Anderson and his fire prevention team are geared up to spend this month visiting schools to spread safety information. The Key West Fire Department is celebrating 150 years of service to the community, and we want you to come celebrate with us!
On Saturday, October 11th, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the KWFD and the Alex Vega Firehouse Museum will host a birthday party at the Truman Waterfront Park. There will be a parade of the departments’ equipment, food, demonstrations, and family-fun activities. Established in 1875, the department replaced an all-volunteer fire department, one of the first in the state of Florida. Twelve years after the Great Fire of 1886, City officials created the Key West Fire Department in 1875. That horrific fire burned more than 50 acres of Key West. When the fire broke out, the city’s only steam-powered fire engine had been placed on a ship and sent to New York for repairs. The community is encouraged to join us to see how far we’ve come. State-of-the-art ambulances, fire trucks, a ladder truck and even a fire boat have earned the department an ISO Class #1 rating. Rapid response times, outstanding and continuous training, and much more have earned the rating, which translates to insurance rate savings for home and business owners. For a real trip into the department’s history, don’t forget to visit the Alex Vega Firehouse Museum at 1024 Grinnell Street.  While colleagues shore up the walls of the trench, trainees descend a ladder to the spot where a dummy victim lies awaiting rescue.
March 30, 2023 - It’s trench time for the Key West Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue team. This week the first responders are out near the Hawk Missile Site learning how to safely extricate an accident victim from a deep trench.
“This vital training for our department,” said Fire Chief Alan Averette, “but this also served double duty for Community Services. Their crews came out and dug these trenches. So both departments are benefiting.” The USAR team is equipped and ready for just about anything imaginable -- and sometimes the unimaginable. The USAR team is an advanced rescue team trained and equipped to respond countywide to structural collapses, incidents in which victims are trapped, or in which there is a threat to the safety of first responders. This week’s training session is USAR-certifying new firefighters and paramedics for the team. The training is being conducted by National Rescue Consultants. The USAR team has rescued people trapped in buildings after hurricanes. They retrieved two victims in a construction collapse several years ago at Key West International Airport. They saved a man who was crushed under tons of concrete when a cistern cover collapsed. The team is often called upon to remove medical patients who cannot be transported by normal means, whether it's because they're in a loft or just too large to be carried through a small doorway. The special equipment and expertise are sometimes called upon to enhance vehicle extractions after an accident.  City Manager Patti McLauchlin, Fire Chief Alan Averette and the entire City Commission honored Capt. Robert Franco for his 20 years of service to the Key West Fire Department.
He came to the department in 2002 as a certified firefighter and EMT. During his tenure he obtained several additional certifications, including paramedic, fire inspector, hazmat technician, and fire instructor. He has served as a member of the Hazmat Team, The Search and Rescue Team, and the Dive Team. “Capt. Franco has demonstrated an unwavering dedication and strong work ethic since the day he was hired,” said Chief Averette. “He is a well-respected member of the Key West Fire Department. Congratulations on your 20 years of service.” McLauchlin presented Capt. Franco with a gold watch and a City challenge coin commemorating his 20 years with the City. Members of the Key West Fire Department and the Key West Police Department recently invested in the community’s future by participating in the College of the Florida Keys’ “Future Heroes Summer Camp.” The camp ran from June 27th to July 1st and provided kids aged seven to 11 the experience of learning what it takes to be a front-line hero. They learned about everything from putting out a fire to what the K9 Unit’s duties consist of. Have a Safe 4th of July.
The Key West Fire Marshal’s Office would like to remind the community to stay safe this 4th of July. Public fireworks displays are not allowed within the boundaries of the City of Key West unless permitted by the Key West Fire Department. The City Code of Ordinances stipulates that permitted fireworks shall be handled by a state-licensed pyrotechnician. Key West has a large number of old wooden structures, and illegal fireworks pose a threat of fire as well as injury. KWFD Fire Marshal Jason Barroso main concern “is that everyone remains safe while celebrating this year’s 4th of July holiday.” The Rotary Club of Key West will have its annual approved and permitted fireworks display on the 4th of July at Edward B Knight Pier.  Preparation is everything, and this week a team of emergency responders conducted a drill to ensure the best response if a hurricane threatens. Key West Fire and Rescue, Monroe County Fire and Rescue, the Lower Keys Medical Center, and the U.S. Air Force Air National Guard all participated. If Monroe County calls for a mandatory evacuation, hospital patients must be flown out to other hospitals. During the drill, volunteers posing at patients were transported from the hospital to the tarmac at the Naval Air Station Key West where they were boarded on a transport plane. “Teamwork and practice mean that we’re ready should a storm come our way,” said Key West Emergency Manager Capt. Gregory Barroso. “We need to be sure we coordinate ambulance and air service to keep the patients safe under a threat of a hurricane.” The last mandatory evacuation order in the Keys was in 2017 for Hurricane Irma. But there are no guarantees, said Capt. Barroso. In 2004 there were four calls for a mandatory evacuation, and three the following year. While emergency managers are practicing, the community is reminded to do the same. Be sure your hurricane plan is in place in case we have more than a drill this hurricane season.
 Fourteen Key West High School students this week graduated the Key West Fire Department’s Firefighters Academy. Proud families, members of the Key West Fire Department, and City officials were on hand during the ceremony to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of these students who have invested two years of training for their future careers as first responders.
These students earned certifications in Firefighter I, Emergency Medical Responder, and Hazmat Awareness. Lt Tim Anson, who leads the academy, praised the group for the tenacity it requires to finish the academy, noting that they would do their grueling physical training in the early hours before heading off to a full day of high school. City Manager Patti McLauchlin thanked the students for their community spirit and presented each graduate with a City challenge coin. The two-year fire academy trains future firefighters while they’re attending their final two years of high school and provides them, upon completion, the equivalent training of a Certified Firefighter I, which puts them halfway through the training required to become a Key West Firefighter. |
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