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FMB Fire hosts open house/celebrates 60 years

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Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District’s Station No. 32 will host an open house Monday, June 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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Fire Station No. 33 at 121 Lenell Road had its open house last September.
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Fire Station No. 31 at 3043 Estero Blvd. is the oldest of the FMB fire buildings.
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The FMB Fire District’s Administration building is at 100 Voorhis Avenue.

Their department has been clocked as having one of the fastest response times in the state.

Its mission is to combat hostile fires, treat and transport the sick and injured, as well as provide multiple levels of rescue.

On June 22, the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District will have an open house for the newly rebuilt Fire Station No. 32 at 17891 San Carlos Blvd. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Everyone is invited to take a tour of the station and ask questions during that time.

The local fire district also will be celebrating its 60th year of serving the Beach community. Since its inception in 1949, it is proud to be the second longest fire service in Lee County. Fire Station No. 31 at 3043 Estero Blvd. was built in the 1950s.

To top off the festivities, some of the administrative staff and members of the fire district will bury a time capsule at Fire Station No. 32. The capsule is expected to be opened at the district’s 100th anniversary in 2049.

“We’re really thankful to our community partners, Miceli’s Italian Restaurant and Split Rail Restaurant, who offered portions of their parking lot,” said FMB Fire District Public Information and Education Officer Ramon Looby. “We’re asking people not to park at the station because of limited space. We’re hoping a lot of people come out so that we can show them, guide them and hopefully make their experience as pleasant as possible.”

Looby said Station No. 32 recently received a new fire truck from its insurance policy to replace the one that was destroyed in a car accident.

“People might see this new towering engine that’s been going around the island,” he said. “Engine 31 is a 2009 Sutphen Monarch. It provides us with a lot of added technology and resources to the people of the island. It’s replacing the engine that was destroyed.”

Looby then applauded the way his department has handled its budgetary needs during the current recession.

“If you look back to what we’ve been able to do at the fire department, we’ve taken our millage from 2.65 to 1.998 last two years,” he said. “That’s like a savings of 30 percent in a declining property-value environment. Chief Becker and his financial director are responsible for fixing the millage to fit their operating budget. That’s a smart way to go about it.”

Looby encourages anyone who has questions to email at info@fmbfire.org, call 239-590-4200 or check out the Web site at fmbfire.org.

Fire Station No. 32

The latest Fort Myers Beach station is a three-story building with bays and an apparatus base on the first floor; crew quarters and meeting area on the second floor; and the fire prevention and information technology divisions as well as the emergency operations and training site centers on the top floor.

“People will get a lot of value and resources from this building,” said Looby. “It’s located off the beach so when a storm does come, we can come here and be closer and more responsive and relay this information to places like downtown Fort Myers or the state so we can help as soon as we can.”

FMBFCD Services*

The Beach’s Emergency Operations Division provides the residents of Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District with fire suppression and protection, emergency rescue capabilities and emergency medical first responder services.

FMBFCD strives to provide the most efficient and professional response to the broadest range of emergency incidents by making every unit and its crew capable of initiating lifesaving action at any emergency.

EOD coordinates and provides advanced and basic life support for medical emergencies; is tasked with confining and extinguishing structure, vehicle, brush and trash fires; as well as special operations such as vehicle extrication, water rescue and technical rescue for members of our community.

All fire suppression vehicles are equipped to respond to medical emergencies with fire fighters who are also emergency medical responders, and all medical rescue transport vehicles carry specialized equipment that enables paramedic fire fighter crewmembers to support suppression efforts or conduct search and rescue activities at any fire incident.

EOD is responsible for providing Pre-hospital Emergency Medical care and transportation for ill and injured residents and visitors in the District. This is accomplished through well trained Paramedics and EMT’s, using state of the art equipment and medical protocols.

The District’s thorough in-service training program ensures that all firefighters maintain exceptional performance levels in both firefighting and emergency medical tactics, regardless of unit assignment.

Public Education*

FMBFCD is dedicated to providing the highest level of service possible to the community it serves. The fire district currently provides a wide variety of services to an ever expanding and diverse population. These services include fire suppression, hazardous materials mitigation, paramedic services, fire prevention and public education. It continually strives for ways to better improve our delivery of service and meet the specialized needs of our community.

One of our biggest priorities is the prevention of fires, accidents and injuries before they occur. This is accomplished through fire prevention, building code enforcement and public education.

The Public Education Office of FMBFCD is housed in the Fire Prevention Division and overseen by the Fire Marshal. Personnel are primarily responsible for fire prevention and life safety education as well as outreach services in the District.

FMBFCD offers a wide variety of community education programs. These programs are designed to prevent injury and or property loss through increased education and public safety awareness. Community education programs may be modified to meet the needs of the intended audience.

Some of the programs currently available include the following:

> Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) – provides training for members of the general public to become certified in CPR by the American Heart Association.

> First Aid – provides training for members of the general public to become certified in First Aid by the American Heart Association.

> Fire Prevention Week – encourages children and families to take an active role in preventing home fires and the injuries and deaths they cause, by conducting home fire safety inspections and preparing and practicing home fire drills. FMBFCD takes a proactive role to ensure the message of fire prevention is spread throughout the year and especially during Fire Prevention Week.

CERT*

The concept of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) originated in 1994 after it was created by the Los Angeles Fire Department. The CERT training provides an opportunity to grow partnerships between emergency services and the community that they serve. Fire Chief Mike Becker believes CERT provides an avenue through which our community members will be better prepared to deal with disasters.

The Community Emergency Response Team is comprised of approximately 70 Fort Myers Beach community members who volunteer their time to serve the community during disaster situations. The members are trained in first aid, CPR, AED, search and rescue, triage, and fire extinguisher operations.

Training for the CERT program occurs in both a classroom setting with many opportunities for hands on practice in practical field settings. For those who cannot attend the classroom sessions, an online version of the program is available. All training and materials for the CERT program are provided free of charge.

All interested Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District residents are invited to join the Fort Myers Beach CERT program. Becoming a CERT member is a great way to learn valuable disaster reaction skills while having the opportunity to help the community and meet new people. If anyone has questions regarding the CERT program, feel free to contact the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District’s Public Information and Education Officer at 463-6163 ext. 233.

Fire District urges residents to ready hurricane plans

As the 2009 Hurricane season quickly approaches, the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District reminds residents that now is the time to review their evacuation and natural disaster plans.

The 2009 Hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through November 30. It is recommended that hurricane preparations include stocking and maintaining a supply kit, a place to go in the event of an evacuation and a plan to secure your home during a storm.

FMBFCD encourages citizens to discuss with their families possible hazards that may affect them in the event of a storm. Residents should make note of their home’s vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind. Residents, who use generators during power outages after a storm, should take this opportunity to make sure their generators are in proper working condition. Residents can visit www.fmbfire.org or www.ready.gov for more information concerning Hurricane preparedness.

*Information on FMBFCD Services, Public Education and CERT was authorized to be taken from the FMB Fire Districts’ Web site (www.fmbfire.org).