A
Anonymous
Guest
Broward Fire Rescue has an airboat stationed at mm35 on I-75 in the Glades. This one is in Belle Glade and will serve Lake Okeechobee.
These things could save your (or someone with you) life. They are there to help so if you run those areas, be aware they are there and available.
PW
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Jan 03, 2007 - 02:21:44 pm EST
Fire Rescue beefs up equipment; Airboat will enhance services to the community
By Naji Tobias, The Sun
Driver Operator Tim Ascheman and District 7 Chief Curtis Rice are getting ready to test the new airboat that was delivered to the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue at the end of September.INI/Naji Tobias
BELLE GLADE — The Belle Glade Fire Rescue, now known as the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue since the recent consolidation, put an application for a grant to purchase an airboat for emergency operations on Lake Okeechobee.
The grant was approved and as a result of it, the airboat was delivered to the department at the end of September, according to PBCFR representatives.
The device is one of only three airboats used for rescue purposes in the state of Florida. The other airboats are located in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties.
According to representatives with fire rescue, the airboat is capable of traversing deep or shallow water, marshes and inland waterways within the area. District 7 Chief Curtis Rice is confident that the airboat will do wonders for the Glades area.
“This will be the first of its kind in Palm Beach County. It will drastically increase rescue ability to areas inaccessible to standard vehicles, including propeller driven boats,� said Chief Rice.
Lt. Frank Cote, Firefighter Paramedic Richard Christmas and Driver Operator Tim Ascheman are currently in the process of having a training program for the airboat. Representatives said the idea is to develop a program that will address normal operations, as well as use during actual emergencies. These emergency calls can consist of overturned vessels, boating accidents, medical emergencies on the water and other emergencies that could happen on Lake Okeechobee area.
Components of the upcoming training program will include familiarity with the equipment on the airboat, water navigation, use of the onboard Global Positioning System, patient packaging, and more.
The program will be split up into two sections. The first section will include the actual operation of the boat, consisting of launching, docking, towing and familiarization of Lake Okeechobee. This section will be performed by actual airboat time on the water and the use of the navigation systems that are available.
Part two of the training deals with patient treatment and packaging. Trainees will be taught how to assess the patient, stabilize and package an injured patient both in the water and on the boat, and more.
PBCFR representative said that Lake Okeechobee is the second largest inland lake in the United States, as well as the largest in the state of Florida. Palm Beach County covers approximately 33 percent of the lake.
These things could save your (or someone with you) life. They are there to help so if you run those areas, be aware they are there and available.
PW
****************************************************
Jan 03, 2007 - 02:21:44 pm EST
Fire Rescue beefs up equipment; Airboat will enhance services to the community
By Naji Tobias, The Sun
Driver Operator Tim Ascheman and District 7 Chief Curtis Rice are getting ready to test the new airboat that was delivered to the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue at the end of September.INI/Naji Tobias
BELLE GLADE — The Belle Glade Fire Rescue, now known as the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue since the recent consolidation, put an application for a grant to purchase an airboat for emergency operations on Lake Okeechobee.
The grant was approved and as a result of it, the airboat was delivered to the department at the end of September, according to PBCFR representatives.
The device is one of only three airboats used for rescue purposes in the state of Florida. The other airboats are located in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties.
According to representatives with fire rescue, the airboat is capable of traversing deep or shallow water, marshes and inland waterways within the area. District 7 Chief Curtis Rice is confident that the airboat will do wonders for the Glades area.
“This will be the first of its kind in Palm Beach County. It will drastically increase rescue ability to areas inaccessible to standard vehicles, including propeller driven boats,� said Chief Rice.
Lt. Frank Cote, Firefighter Paramedic Richard Christmas and Driver Operator Tim Ascheman are currently in the process of having a training program for the airboat. Representatives said the idea is to develop a program that will address normal operations, as well as use during actual emergencies. These emergency calls can consist of overturned vessels, boating accidents, medical emergencies on the water and other emergencies that could happen on Lake Okeechobee area.
Components of the upcoming training program will include familiarity with the equipment on the airboat, water navigation, use of the onboard Global Positioning System, patient packaging, and more.
The program will be split up into two sections. The first section will include the actual operation of the boat, consisting of launching, docking, towing and familiarization of Lake Okeechobee. This section will be performed by actual airboat time on the water and the use of the navigation systems that are available.
Part two of the training deals with patient treatment and packaging. Trainees will be taught how to assess the patient, stabilize and package an injured patient both in the water and on the boat, and more.
PBCFR representative said that Lake Okeechobee is the second largest inland lake in the United States, as well as the largest in the state of Florida. Palm Beach County covers approximately 33 percent of the lake.
