Monroe County Fire Rescue Chief R.L. Colina joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s been going on in the county.
A 12-year-old girl is recovering after Monroe County Fire Rescue crews rescued her from a residential fire on Stock Island Tuesday, with the fire chief crediting intensive training and a rapid, coordinated response for helping save her life.
Crews from Station 8 responded to the fire, where two townhomes and two families were affected. Firefighters located the girl on the third floor and were able to remove her from the burning home.
She was transported to Lower Keys Medical Center and was reported to be in stable condition.
Chief Colina said the homeowner had attempted to enter the home but was unable to do so. A neighbor also tried to get inside but could not reach the upper floor.
Firefighters used a thermal imaging camera to see through the smoke, locate the girl and determine where she was inside the home.
“They were able to use a thermal imaging camera … to identify where the room was, identify where the 12-year-old was, get her covered up, and get her brought back down,” Chief Colina said.
The rescue also involved Key West Fire Rescue and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Colina said a Key West Fire Rescue unit was nearby after leaving Lower Keys Medical Center when the call came in and responded to the scene.
The Key West unit became the first advanced life support unit on scene, allowing medical personnel to be ready when the girl was brought out of the home.
Chief Colina said the response demonstrates the importance of cooperation among the various emergency agencies throughout the Florida Keys.
“We work seamlessly with all the municipalities and with Key West,” Chief Colina said. “We say a huge thank you to Key West and their first responders and the sheriff’s office.”
Firefighters train constantly for emergencies such as this, even though they hope they never have to put that training into action.
“It’s that training … that positions them with the ability to effect a rescue, to save a life, to change an outcome dramatically for a family,” Chief Colina said.
One of the firefighters involved in Tuesday’s rescue has previously saved a life during his career, making this his second such rescue.
Chief Colina said those moments are rare for firefighters and require everything to come together, from response times and strategic positioning to training and teamwork.
“It is seconds that can make a difference,” Chief Colina said. “Whether we can pull somebody out that’s viable, or unfortunately that may not make it.”
Chief Colina praised all of the firefighters and first responders who responded to the fire, saying he could not be prouder of their work.
Monroe County Fire Rescue is currently in a good position when it comes to staffing.
The department recently graduated 19 new firefighters, helping fill vacancies. The new recruits have been onboarded and are now working throughout the county.
One of the newly hired firefighters was assigned to Station 8 and was involved in Tuesday’s rescue.
Chief Colina said the department is currently where it needs to be with staffing and intends to maintain and continue building that strength.
Construction of a new Monroe County Fire Rescue Station 10 in the Sugarloaf area is also moving forward.
Chief Colina said the county commission approved increases needed to allow the project to proceed, with work expected to begin moving forward by the end of September.
The station will be an important addition because of the unique challenges involved in providing emergency services throughout the Florida Keys. Monroe County stretches approximately 120 miles, with fire stations strategically positioned to serve areas of higher population density.
Chief Colina said the goal is to ensure communities throughout the Keys have adequate staffing, resources and response times, including access to advanced life support.
Chief Colina also praised Monroe County’s leadership and commissioners for prioritizing public safety in the recently finalized county budget.
The county’s fiscal year budget totals $690.2 million, with the millage rate remaining at 2.6929.
The support for public safety helps Monroe County Fire Rescue provide the resources needed by its firefighters and first responders.
For Chief Colina, Tuesday’s rescue is a reminder of why that preparation matters.
“We train hard,” Chief Colina said. “They train constantly with all this equipment.”
He said the firefighters are the ones doing the work in the field and that his role is to support them.
“It’s the boots on the ground that affect this and make this happen,” Chief Colina said.