Boca Raton Budgets Full Staff for Fire-Rescue Station, Filling Longtime Gap

Boca Raton Fire-Rescue Station 8. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Boca Raton’s recently-approved operating budget will fund the full staffing of one of the city’s Fire-Rescue stations in the southern portion of town, filling a gap that will ensure quicker response times and less pressure on nearby facilities, officials said.

Fire-Rescue Station 8 is located off SW 18th Street, just west of S. Dixie Highway. It is currently the only station that is not staffed on a 24-7 basis, however that will change following the inclusion of new positions in the city’s budget approved last week. The budget funds the salaries of 12 firefighters/EMTs and four lieutenants out of a $2,561,500 appropriation, which will increase staffing to become on par with the city’s other full-service stations.

“We always planned for it to have this when the time was right,” Fire Chief John Treanor said at a recent community meeting. “Well, the time is right.”

Station 8 serves the southeastern portion of the city’s mainland, largely centering its services on the neighborhoods surrounding Camino Real to the southern border. But its staff is largely pulled from other stations.

Boca Raton Fire-Rescue Station 8. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

“When we have a response or a medical emergency, we have a fire truck that goes there,” said Treanor. “Every firefighter is a medic, but we want to be able to transport that person to the hospital rapidly. We want to fully staff that station so we can transport the person directly, out of that station.”

In addition to the increased staffing, the budget adds a rescue truck – the city’s formal name for an ambulance – that will also be permanently based at Station 8, dedicated to its area of operations. Having that dedicated rescue truck will allow the station’s staff to offer the advanced services that have become part of the one of the most impressive local rescue services in the region, including ultrasound capability and “whole blood” availability to assist accident and trauma victims.

“By adding that rescue truck to Station 8, we add resources to the whole city,” said Treanor. “We won’t have to take resources from other areas of the city.”

Boca Raton Fire-Rescue vehicle. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

While the property tax rate did not increase residents this year, the Fire-Rescue fee will rise from $155 to $224. Much of that funding will be dedicated to the expanded staff and equipment for the station. Chief Financial Officer James Zervis said this year’s budget also included funds to hire four new EMS captains that will serve the city as a whole.

“The four EMS captains will form a second EMS division,” said Zervis. “The Fire-Rescue department operates two divisions for ALS [advanced life support] capabilities – one in East Boca and one in West Boca, so it provides a constant level of staffing. That’s independent of Fire Station 8.”