Ten SFWMD employees, including two military veterans, helped Palm Beach County Fire Rescue bring a fire under control on Veterans Day. (Click the image for a larger version.)
Boynton Beach, FL - The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) received a call today from Palm Beach County's (PBC) Emergency Operations Center (EOC) requesting help in dealing with a smoldering fire in western Boynton Beach.
As PBC Fire Rescue investigated the situation, which began around 5 a.m., their Incident Commander Kevin Shaw asked for the District's help in deploying crews that could transport and operate track mounted excavators to the location. No residents or homes were in any danger after the area was secured and the fire controlled.
Among the 10 SFWMD employees dispatched on Veterans Day, two are retired military veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces - Field Operations Supervisor Rob Robinson, who served in the Army, and Heavy Equipment Operator Jerry Bennett, who served in both the Army and Navy.
"We appreciate the hard work of our field crews, particularly our two military veterans, in responding to this incident on such an important holiday," said SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Dan O'Keefe. "This is the type of work we do at the District each day to help ensure the safety of South Floridians."
Thousands of mulch fires occur across the United States each year, usually during warm, dry summer weather. While the location that erupted in fire is neither owned nor operated by SFWMD, Florida's largest water management district has the expertise, equipment and manpower to respond to emergency situations of this nature.
Media Contact:
Randy Smith |
rrsmith@sfwmd.gov | Office: 561-682-2800 | Cell: 561-389-3386
The South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency that manages the water resources in the southern part of the state. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts. Our mission is to protect South Florida's water resources by balancing and improving flood control, water supply, water quality and natural systems.
