Chapter 5.1
Fire and Emergency Medical Services
On this page, there are three key elements:
- Summary
- Full text for this section of the Neighborhood Plan
- Short survey
Summary:
We rely on a locally funded fire and EMS team and private water. As the population grows, we may need to update how these services work to keep everyone safe.
- Getting emergency vehicles to the right home
Some homes are hard to find because of unclear addresses, and narrow roads or low branches can make it difficult for fire trucks and ambulances to reach them. - Access across the island, beach, and by air
Some areas are hard to reach by road, beach access is getting more limited, and there may not be enough safe places for helicopters to land as the island grows. - Water supply and hydrant responsibility
Firefighters need strong water flow, but it’s unclear if hydrants provide enough water, and it’s not always clear who is responsible for testing and maintaining them. - Cost and fairness of fire and EMS services
Many residents feel the cost is high, and it may not feel fair that island residents pay for services that can also be used on the mainland.
We recommend:
- Make it easier to find and reach homes
Ensure all homes have clear, visible addresses and are easy for emergency vehicles to access. - Improve emergency information and response
Keep address records accurate, require rental units to display their address, and remind everyone to call 911 right away in an emergency. - Plan for access across the island
Continue planning for beach access, hard-to-reach areas, and make sure helicopter landing spots remain available. - Fix water supply issues for firefighting
Test hydrants and make sure there is enough water flow to handle fires. - Review how fire services are structured and funded
Explore including Station 10 in the county system and monitor costs to keep taxes fair. - Encourage programs that speed up emergency help
Promote tools like the Red Dot and Knox-Box programs to help responders act quickly.
Full Version:
We encourage everyone to read the full version. While we did our best to summarize above, this full version offers much more nuance.
Services to the Community
Barrier islands face the unique challenge of having limited access. As our islands continue to develop, current plans may need updating to deal with the additional population for fire and EMS services and emergency evacuation in the event of a storm.
Fire and Emergency Medical Services
Our local Station 10 (The Barrier Islands Fire Service Unit) is operated by Charlotte County Fire EMS and staffed 24/7 by professional firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics. Funding is provided through a Municipal Services Benefit Unit (MSBU), created in 1991 and assessed exclusively to island property owners, covering all Station 10 operating expenses as approved by the County Commissioners. The Barrier Island Fire Service Unit Advisory Board (“Fire Board”) provides input and recommendations to the Department.
- Fire/EMS Response to the Islands
Charlotte County Fire-EMS has a formal procedure for the response to the islands. The Island location and transportation challenges sometimes hinder the mainland unit’s ability to provide immediate support for medical and fire emergencies. As a result, island residents and visitors depend upon Station 10 to respond quickly and professionally to emergencies. Once a 911 call has been made, the dispatcher notifies Station 10. The procedure assigns specific resources from other Charlotte County and Englewood stations to provide aid back up for Station 10, depending upon the type of call. Included in the procedure is the protocol for notifying barge personnel at night when the ferry is not running. The barge captain is responsible for proceeding immediately to the ferry landing on Panama Boulevard to transport mainland services to the island as necessary. - Helicopter Evacuation
Patients requiring immediate evacuation to a trauma center are taken by helicopter from the island’s landing sites or taken by ambulance to the mainland where they are air lifted by a helicopter. - Water Sources
Two utility companies, Bocilla Utilities, Inc. and Knight Island Utilities, own the fire hydrants on the island. The water for both utilities is provided by Englewood Water District. Station 10 is equipped with tanker trucks, pump trucks and pumper units which are able to draft water from the surrounding area. For water to be pumped from other water sources, the equipment needs to be within range of a water source. It takes time to set up the pumping equipment, and the water cannot be pumped across great distances without losing pressure. - Fire Flow
Fire flow is the rate of water delivery necessary to suppress a fire effectively. Poor fire flow, particularly on an island, creates a dangerous fire safety hazard which could be potentially harmful to both people and structures. Charlotte County Fire & EMS has requested fire flow as recommended by ISO (the Insurance Services Office). - Additional Services
In partnership with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, Charlotte County Fire-EMS offers residents programs to expedite emergency services. These include the “Red Dot” program, which is used to inform responders about a resident’s existing medical condition(s) and the “Knox-Box” rapid entry system used to secure emergency access to homes.
Issues related to Fire and Emergency Medical Services
- The house numbering system is inconsistent, creating some confusion in certain developments as to the correct address to give when calling 911. For example, a large section of Colony Don Pedro shows as “301 S. Gulf Blvd.” plus a unit number, however there are residences within the development that have individual house numbers.
- Some residences lack easily readable numbers. They may be non-existent, hidden by vegetation, or impossible to read at night.
- Limited or no road access is a problem, which potentially could affect more people/property than just those owners who live in remote areas. For example, a fire starting in an inaccessible area, such as Don Pedro State Park, could quickly grow and spread to other parts of the island.
- Renters calling 911 may not know which island they are on, their street address or the nearest intersection or cross street, causing Dispatch to give the wrong location to Station 10 and the mainland response teams.
- Narrow roads and driveways, low hanging tree branches, and no vehicular turnarounds may limit access to some of the private properties.
- Accessibility for beach is becoming more difficult as more houses are built along the beachfront and emergency vehicles must go through designated public and private properties.
- Helicopter landing spots may become a problem as the islands become more built out.
- Fire flow from the hydrants is presently unknown, and it is unclear at this time when the last hydrant flow testing was accomplished. Inadequate fire flow may necessitate the costly upgrading of equipment and the installation of larger water pipes and/or booster pumps to meet current and future island needs.
- Both water utilities are non-governmental private companies, and there are issues to be resolved relative to fire hydrants including who is responsible for the testing, maintenance and usability of the hydrants and whether or not there is adequate flow for fire emergencies.
- Most residents feel that the Fire & EMS MSBU tax burden is excessive, and any future improvements will only exacerbate the issue.
- The Fire & EMS MSBU was established on the basis of Station 10 services being exclusive to the Island and not a part of the County’s emergency backup protocols. However, in the event of a big fire on the mainland, Station 10 personnel and resources may be called upon to respond. If Station 10 resources are involved in mainland activity, it is not fair and equitable that Island property owners are wholly responsible for the expense of maintaining the fire station.
Recommendations related to Fire and Emergency Medical Services
- Encourage house addressing for all homes that is clearly visible, reflective and positioned so that it can be easily seen from the road.
- The Island Fire Board should continue to work with Dispatch to ensure that it has the correct addresses for all Island properties.
- Rental units should be required to provide the rental house phone number and address (including identifying the correct Island) at a prominent location in the rental unit.
- Continue to educate residents and visitors to immediately call 911 in an emergency.
- Educate property owners on the benefits of easy accessibility to properties for emergency support and the limits to support in areas accessible only by water.
- Monitor future needs for bringing people and equipment to the beach in case of emergency.
- Ensure that landing spots continue to be available for helicopter evacuation.
- Request that Charlotte County takes the necessary steps to resolve the fire flow issue by testing the hydrants and evaluating the outcome.
- Request that Charlotte County explore eliminating the Barrier Islands Fire Service Unit and instead include Station 10 in Charlotte County Fire and EMS.
- Continue to monitor the Island Fire and EMS budget to ensure an equitable tax rate, e.g. making sure the budget item for emergency personnel costs is calculated at an average wage rate, rather than the highest available wage rate.
- Encourage local participation in the “Red Dot” program and the “Knox-Box” rapid entry system.
Survey
Each head of household (up to two per household) may submit the form once. If you submit it more than once, only your most recent submission will count. This also means you can update your response later if you change your mind.
