Monroe County Fire Rescue Cheif RL Colina joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on in the county.
As thousands of residents and visitors prepare to head onto the water for Florida’s annual lobster mini season, MCFR is fully staffed and ready to respond to emergencies.
“We are well prepared and getting ready,” Chief Colina said.
The department has fully staffed its fire stations, rescue equipment and battalion chiefs throughout the Upper, Middle and Lower Keys. All three Trauma Star helicopters are also fully operational to provide emergency medical transport if needed.
“We’ve got all our aircraft with Trauma Star fully operational and running,” he said.
Cheif Colina said Monroe County Fire Rescue works closely with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and other public safety agencies during mini season to ensure a coordinated response on the water.
“We just want to reiterate to everybody that’s out there, that’s coming down, that’s coming to visit—just be safe,” Chief Colina said.
Among his recommendations, divers should remain close to properly displayed dive flags and avoid venturing too far from their vessels.
“The flag only shows that the boat and the divers are there,” he said. “If a diver exceeds that limit, now they’re running into some dangerous area.”
It’s so important to montior changing weather conditions because storms can develop quickly in the Florida Keys.
“You may leave in the morning and all of a sudden that weather turns,” Chief Colina said. “Understand your travel plan on the water. Understand where you’re going. Understand how to get back to where you’re at.”
If storms develop while on the water, boaters should seek shelter as quickly as possible and ensure all divers exit the water immediately.
“Don’t remain in the water when you have areas of inclement weather coming in,” he said. “Sometimes you’ve got to use a little bit of common sense.”
Sudden thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds can rapidly create dangerous conditions, even outside of tropical storms and hurricanes.
“The Florida Keys weather changes so quickly,” Chief Colina said. “We have a lot of these seasonal-type microbursts that all of a sudden appear and can get quite violent—fast, rapid winds, heavy rain, things of that nature.”
Monroe County Emergency Management and the Emergency Operations Center continually monitor weather conditions and work to provide timely warnings to residents and visitors.
Monroe County Fire Rescue will also participate in National Night Out events scheduled throughout the Keys.
Fire Rescue personnel will participate alongside law enforcement and other first responders at events at Truman Waterfront in Key West, the Trauma Star Hangar in Marathon and Key Largo Community Park.
“It’s always a great event, and we’re looking forward to it this year,” Chief Colina said.
Although recent rainfall has reduced some fire danger, residents are reminded that lightning strikes can still ignite brush fires in remote areas of the Keys.
“We’ve had a lot of lightning strikes,” Cheif Colina said. “Those lightning strikes like to start in these obscure areas, but they’re just as significant as anywhere else.”
Before heading onto the water, boaters should verify that all required safety equipment is onboard, including life jackets, communication devices and marine radios.
“If you’re the captain of your vessel, ensure all the safety items are in place,” Cheif Colina said. “Ensure that you have phones, means of communication, VHF radios, so that if an emergency does happen, you can contact the appropriate level of care.”
Firefighters, paramedics and emergency personnel work hard to serve Monroe County year-round.
“It is an honor every single day to be at the helm of Monroe County Fire Rescue and work alongside the men and women that just selflessly put themselves out there every day,” Chief Colina said. “I just want to say thank you.”
For more information, click here: https://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/firerescue