Firefighters take an oath of office to put others before themselves, to protect and to serve, and to make sacrifices along the way to save lives, sometimes risking their own. Every year, I am inspired by our firefighters’ actions, their success stories, and their unconditional compassion for others. The people of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBCFR) love what they do, and it shows. Their efforts continue to improve our community, year after year. Fiscal year 2024 saw remarkable growth and achievements, as we celebrated our 40th year of delivering excellence in emergency services to nearly one million residents!

This year, our life-saving stories touched home in ways we never expected. Our firefighters saved one of our own employees from cardiac arrest. Our crews also saved the life of one of our Chief’s young daughters by delivering a whole blood transfusion on-scene before she was transported to the hospital. Our firefighters don’t only save lives on duty. One off-duty firefighter this year saved

a neighbor’s choking baby, and another stopped at a vehicle crash in another city until the local medics arrived.

None of these outcomes happen by accident. Our firefighters/paramedics spend hours training and honing their skills with the most advanced and innovative science in emergency medicine. We are proud to deliver emergency services that exceed national standards. The national survival rate for patients who suffer a cardiac arrest is 9.7%, but at PBCFR our cardiac arrest survival rate for patients is 14.4%! We are the first fire department in Palm Beach County to offer whole blood transfusions on-scene, a lifesaving initiative that has proven invaluable for more than one hundred local patients as we lead the way for others. Our firefighters continue to raise the bar for every benchmark, answering more than 157,000 calls in our service areas while earning a 99% patient satisfaction rate. Our 911 Communications Center dispatches for 13 other municipalities beyond our areas, totaling over 236,000 calls this year.

One of our greatest strengths as an ISO Class 1 Fire Department is our ability to swiftly and effectively respond to your emergency. As the County continues to grow, your fire department is growing with you. We are proud to have opened two new fire stations in the most rapidly expanding areas of the County. In November 2023, we opened temporary Fire Station 49 on Lyons Road and the Flavor Pict Extension. In January 2024, we opened Station 40 near Military and White Feather Trail. We’ve increased the number of firefighters on duty to a minimum of 347 firefighters – 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

This past year, we finalized the training and implementation of our PBCFR Swiftwater Rescue Team. The team embarked on its maiden mission to assist on the west coast of Florida after Hurricane Helene’s flooding. The PBCFR Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Team was also staffed and trained this past year. They are ready to be deployed here at home and in other areas. Numerous employees traveled to North Carolina to assist after the historic floods. Rest assured, we have some of the best people and resources trained in disaster mitigation and management right here in our Department.

This fiscal year, we have promoted close to 90 people and graduated nearly 100 new firefighters from three Recruit Academies. Thanks to a FEMA grant, our Community Risk Reduction team installed nearly 800 smoke alarms in the Glades communities this year alone. Additionally, our team of Fire Investigators closed 212 fire investigations last year, with a conviction rate that surpasses both state and national levels. They earned the distinction of being the only Fire Department-based OSAC Registered Arson/Explosion/Fire Investigation Forensic Practitioners in the Nation.

Your safety is our number one priority. I am proud to say 2024 was an outstanding year... please take a look for yourself ! ​