Tweet

Members of the San Carlos Park Fire and Rescue, Lee County EMS and Florida Forestry Service responded to an brushfire in San Carlos Park off Alico Road on Sunday, April 3rd.  Firefighters arrived on scene to find a large column of smoke showing from the wooded area off Alico Road near Airport Haul Road. Wind speed and fuel were major concerns however, the fire was contained well and reached only 8 acres in size by the time it was suppressed.

SCPFD would like to remind citizens to be aware of fire danger conditions currently in place. Please join us in preventing brushfires by becoming proactive in brushfire prevention.  San Carlos Park citizens are strongly advised to use common sense whenever using anything that can cause a flame or spark, and to clear the area around their home of brush and vegetation to reduce the fire risk.  For more information on preparing your property for Brushfire Season please contact San Carlos Park Fire District at 267-7525.

*Photos courtesy of www.newspress.com

Tweet

San Carlos Park Fire Protection and Rescue Service District has been awarded a Class 2 Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating by the Insurance Services Office (ISO), an organization that independently evaluates municipal fire protection efforts in communities throughout the United States.  The rating is used by insurance companies nationally as a standard for their premiums.  The Class 2 rating is the second highest possible score that can be given to any fire department nationwide, with only 2% of the Nation’s Fire Departments reaching this elite rating of fire protection.

In March of 2016, ISO upgraded San Carlos Park’s Public Protection Classification (PPC) from a Class 3 to a Class 2. Nationally, just 1,164 of 48,632 fire protection agencies achieved a Class 2, with only 178 achieving a Class 1. This improved rating may mean savings for property owners within the District as ISO considers a fire district’s PPC rating an important factor for insurance companies when determining prices for personal and commercial property insurance. ISO looks at many factors when determining a classification.  Some of these include staffing, fire training, how often apparatus are maintained and tested, personnel training, public education, water supply and flow, emergency dispatching and communication, and equipment. This rating will take effect on July 1, 2016.

Chief David Cambareri said, “Achievement of a Class 2 rating is a true testament to the hard work and diligence of our staff. I am continually impressed with their commitment to better the service we provide those who live in and visit San Carlos Park Fire District. Whether it is training, responding to emergencies, fire and life safety education, or life safety inspections, their desire to excel is what has made our District one of the best in the Nation.”

Tweet

San Carlos Park Fire District is pleased to announce we have joined Nextdoor, an online social networking site designed to encourage community engagement by bringing neighbors, neighborhoods, and public safety agencies together.

As your Fire District,  will be utilizing Nextdoor to share valuable information on topics such as fire and life safety, community events, services we offer to our residents, and emergency notifications.

Take this opportunity to click the link below and connect with us on on Nextdoor to build safer neighborhoods in San Carlos Park Fire Protection and Rescue Service District.

Tweet

Please follow the link below for information regarding the Fire Inspector Employment Opportunity.

San Carlos Park Fire Protection Fire Inspector Job Posting

Tweet

Santa’s Mailbox Open for Business at San Carlos Park Fire District’s Three Stations

San Carlos Park Fire District has made special arrangements with Santa Claus for our fire stations to be drop-off sites for letters to Santa Claus! Bring your children to drop off their letters in Santa’s Mailbox located at any one of our fire stations:

• Station 51 located at 8013 Sanibel Blvd.
• Station 52 located at 16901 Island Park Rd.
• Station 53 located at 19591 Ben Hill Griffin Pkwy.

Santa loves to get letters from boys and girls who have been good all year long!  Make sure to include your child’s name and address on each letter and San Carlos Park Fire District will ensure each child receives a personalized letter from Santa.

The deadline to mail letters at Santa’s Mailbox is December 15th. No postage required, only a little magic!

For more information, call the San Carlos Park Fire District at 239-267-7525.

Tweet

San Carlos Park Fire District Firefighters joined the FGCU community this afternoon at their annual St. Baldrick’s Day event. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a national foundation that raises money and awareness for childhood cancer research. Unfortunately, only 4% of federal funding is designated to research regarding childhood cancer; the St. Baldrick’s Foundation helps to close this gap through fundraising at events like those today.

Four San Carlos Park Fire District Firefighters joined together to raise money for this wonderful organization and because kids with cancer often lose their hair during treatment, the firefighters showed their support by shaving their heads voluntarily.

To find out how to participate yourself or donate visit  www.stbaldricks.org

Tweet

All  San Carlos Park Fire District stations will open their doors to trick-or-treaters Halloween night! Firefighters will hand out treats to kids but will remain in-service and may be called to an emergency at any time.

San Carlos Park Fire Districk would like to remind the public that Halloween might be scary for different reasons than you think.  On average, twice as many kids are killed while walking on Halloween than on any other day of the year.  However, with a few tips and tricks, your children can stay safe while trick-or-treating.

Safety tips for kids:

• Costumes can be both creative and safe. The most important thing is to make sure you can be seen by drivers. Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors. Masks can obstruct your vision, so choose non-toxic face paint and make-up whenever possible. Carry glow sticks or flashlights so you can see better, as well as be seen by drivers.
• Cross the street safely at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.
• Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
• Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
• Slow down and stay alert. Watch out for cars that are turning or backing up and don’t dart out into the street or cross in between parked cars.

Top safety tips for drivers:

• Slow down in residential neighborhoods. Remember that popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
• Be especially alert and take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians, and on curbs. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
• Reduce any distractions inside your car, such as talking on the phone or eating, so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.

Tweet

Thank you for your participation, we are no longer accepting applications for needy families as we have reached the limit of 30 families.

San Carlos Park Fire District will continue a more than 30 year tradition this year with their Annual Secret Santa Program.  For over 30 years SCPFD has spread holiday cheer to the less fortunate.  Each year friends, neighbors and your local fire district join together to collect toys to wrap and distribute to needy families.

Those interested in donating to the program may drop off new, unwrapped gifts at any of our fire stations.

Tweet

San Carlos Park Firefighters  are trading their traditional uniforms for those with pink logos this October to raise breast cancer awareness.   Fire Chief Dave Cambareri said “We want those battling cancer, survivors of cancer, and those with a loved one fighting cancer to know they are not alone, they are loved, and they are supported. Your San Carlos Park Firefighters care enough to wear pink.”

Tweet

Hear the Beep Where You Sleep

If I asked you where your smoke alarms are in your home, could you tell me? If you’re like many people, you may not pay much attention to where smoke alarms have been installed. However, location matters when it comes to smoke alarms.

Smoke alarms should be installed inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.

Working smoke alarms are a critical fire-safety tool that can mean the difference between life and death in a home fire. According to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), smoke alarms can cut the chance of dying in a home fire in half. Meanwhile, NFPA data shows that home fires killed 2,755 people in 2013, an average of eight people every day that year. Many of these deaths could have been prevented with the proper smoke alarm protection.

As a member of the fire service for over 20 years, I’ve seen the devastating effects of fire first-hand; the burn injuries, the loss of homes and possessions are distressing. What’s even worse is witnessing a family’s anguish after a loved one has been killed in a fire. It’s heartbreaking.

As the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week, October 4-10, 2015, NFPA is promoting “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm!” to better educate the public about the true value of working smoke alarms in the bedroom. In support of these efforts, San Carlos Park Fire District will be hosting educational activities throughout the whole month of October.

My sincere hope is that all San Carlos Park residents and make sure there are working smoke alarms installed throughout their homes. These simple steps can help make a life-saving difference, and prevent the potentially life-threatening impact of fire.

Here are additional smoke alarm tips to follow:

1. Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
2. Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
3. Test alarms each month by pushing the test button.
4. Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they are 10 year old or sooner if they do not respond properly.
5. Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound and understands what to do when they hear the smoke alarm.
6. If the smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.
Go to your outside meeting place. Call the fire department from outside the home.

To learn more about Fire Prevention Week the visit NFPA’s Web site at www.firepreventionweek.org.

Yours in Service,

Fire Chief David Cambareri