With the world constantly changing at light speed around us, the fire service has been able to quickly adapt and expand services to meet the community's needs. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue's (PBCFR) flexibility, resiliency, and tenacity have allowed us to break boundaries in emergency service delivery during trying times. I can't think of a more exciting period to lead this phenomenal group of people as we progress with our Vision of
Excellence Today, Improving Tomorrow.
This year, PBCFR achieved an elite national distinction, we earned a Class #1 ISO rating for our Fire Department. Class #1 is the highest possible Public Protection Classification awarded to any fire department after a rigorous testing, reporting, and inspection process. What does this mean for you? It signifies safety and peace of mind knowing you have the best fire and life safety protection available! This is how we deliver
Excellence Today.
Public Safety is one of Palm Beach County's six strategic priorities, signifying that resources and time are imperative to meet the ever-changing needs of our community. As PBCFR's overall call volume has increased, so has our line-up of specialties, responses, services, and programs. We are an “All Hazards" Fire Rescue agency. We have expanded our reach and training to encompass a broader range of capabilities. Many of those have been brought to fruition in the last year after much hard work and determination. Every advancement is designed with your safety and quality of life in mind. We are continuously looking for ways to keep
Improving Tomorrow.
This past year, we directly engaged our end users and stakeholders to provide feedback and suggestions as we developed Palm Beach County Fire Rescue's new Strategic Plan. The 2022 plan outlines our goals and objectives moving forward, setting the road map for evolution and growth based on what the community and our employees see as the potential for improvement. This new plan comes with a solid mission statement that includes our “All Hazards" mantra. I see a bright future on the horizon where we continuously tackle any obstacles together as one community.
As our County is facing massive growth, PBCFR is also gearing up for expansion in all areas. This year, we began the construction of one new fire station and are in the process of planning for two more. We've purchased new vehicles, apparatus, and equipment to serve you better. This storm season, as Hurricane Ian threatened our area and a tornado touched down in a southern county neighborhood, we put our pre-storm season plans into action. We rescued, evacuated, and relocated people to safety using our coordinated storm response with other county government agencies at the tornado site. Our department also instantly sent personnel and equipment across the state to aid in rescue and recovery efforts with no disruption to services at home. It's important to me that the citizens and visitors of Palm Beach County know we will be there when they need us the most, no matter the circumstances.
Even with all of the advances in technology and equipment, I know in my heart that it's people that make a difference for other people. The people who make Palm Beach County Fire Rescue run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, are second to none! PBCFR employees are providing excellent service every day, and it shows. Our recent PBCFR patient satisfaction surveys tell us you agree, with a 98.5% satisfaction rate. As the Chief of this great department, the results of this survey reinforce for me what I have always known, our people love what they do! When you love what you do, it's not a job, it's a calling. It is my calling and my duty, as the Fire Chief, to keep our fire family members engaged, secure and safe so they can do the same for your loved ones in your neighborhoods.
Thank you for allowing us to serve you,
Patrick J Kennedy
Fire Rescue Administrator