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2022 PBCFR MEDIA RELATIONS POLICY

 

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue’s Public Information Office is committed to providing accurate and timely life safety information to the public and the media, while also enhancing community awareness of the services provided by PBCFR. Our team members work within the guidelines of HIPAA and the Florida Public Records Law, Statute 119. PBCFR will provide information related to Fire Rescue activities and services without compromising patient privacy rights, investigations, department security, or public safety.


Please see the following guidelines:

  • All media inquiries and media public records requests shall be directed to the PIO Office Email line: PBCFRPIO@pbcgov.org
  • Media inquiries will be answered during regular business hours M-F/8-5pm.
  • After-hours routine questions will be answered the following business day.
  • After-hours significant event requests will be answered in a reasonable time frame.
  • With all inquiries, please give an approximate time, date, and location of the incident.
  • Before contacting PBCFR, please ensure you are questioning the correct agency.
  • All matters involving Law Enforcement should be directed to the appropriate LE agency.
  • The responding PIO cannot provide the following information:
    1. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protected information
    2. Patient identifiers including but not limited to: name, age, complete address
    3. All matters under active investigation, including the cause of a fire
    4. Speculation on what caused an incident
  • PBCFR provides fire and rescue services for all unincorporated areas, Palm Beach International Airport, and the following municipalities: Belle Glade, Cloud Lake, Glen Ridge, Haverhill, Jupiter, Juno Beach, Lake Clarke Shores, Lake Park, Lake Worth Beach, Lantana, Loxahatchee Groves, Manalapan, Pahokee, Palm Springs, Royal Palm Beach, South Bay, South Palm Beach, Wellington, and Westlake.
  • Please check PBCFR social media for updates and communication regarding fire rescue activities:
     Twitter: @PBCFR
     Facebook: @PBCFireRescue
     Instagram: @PBCFireRescue