‘NEW FIRE STATIONS ENHANCE REGIONAL SERVICE’

‘TRADITIONAL “HOSE UNCOUPLING” CEREMONY TO OPEN EVERGLADES FIRE STATION

Updated: 10/28/2008 02:12:00 PM

PIO Number: 08-10-25

DATE: October 28, 2008

PIO NUMBER: 08-10-25
BROWARD SHERIFF FIRE RESCUE STATION #106 DEDICATION

WHEN: Thursday, October 30th at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: Mile Marker 34 along I-75 (Alligator Alley)
A single grand opening ceremony will be celebrated for three new regional fire stations and a regional logistics complex on Thursday, October 30th at 10:00 a.m. Sheriff Al Lamberti, Broward County Mayor Lois Wexler and Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Chief of Department Joseph R. Lello will be joined by invited guests and the public to celebrate this historic event. Sheriff Lamberti said, “This is a milestone in BSO’s history and symbolic of the commitment in providing regional fire-rescue services to the residents and visitors to all of Broward County.”
The new Regional Everglades Fire Rescue Station is a $5.1 million, 7,142 square foot facility with two bays that house an Advanced Life Support (ALS) engine, ALS rescue, brush truck, rescue airboat and Jonboat. Five firefighter/paramedics specially trained in wilderness search and rescue staff this station.
As is a fire service tradition, when a new fire station is opened, a ceremonial hose uncoupling is performed in place of a conventional ribbon cutting. Sheriff Lamberti and Mayor Wexler will be joined by Chief Lello and personnel from station #106 to perform the uncoupling to signify the occupancy of the “house.” Another tradition that will be observed is the “pushing” of apparatus into the bays. Before the arrival of motorized fire trucks, firefighters with horse-drawn apparatus would unhitch their horses when they returned to the fire house, then had to “push” the apparatus back into the station. Thus, the tradition continues with a few changes as the Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Honor Guard and Broward’s Bravest Black Pearl Pipe and Drum Corps will lead the apparatus into the firehouse bays.
The new Airport/Seaport and Regional Technical Rescue station is a $10.2 million, 16,727 square foot facility with four bays that accommodate six apparatus and 17 personnel. BSFR’s Regional Technical Rescue tractor-trailer is also housed at this location. The close proximity of this station to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades will enhance the Broward Sheriff’s Office regional emergency response to incidents involving aircraft and marine vessels. This station will also serve as a regional training facility.

The new Hazardous Materials Fire Rescue Station is a 15,535 square foot, three-bay facility designed to accommodate four apparatus and 10 personnel. The Hazardous Materials Team provides regional emergency response for incidents involving: chemical leaks, biological agents, radiological/nuclear emergencies and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) agents, rapidly mitigating hazardous materials emergencies on Broward County highways, railways, pipelines, airports and at Port Everglades.

A new 23,097 square foot Regional Logistics Warehouse is located on the same site as the Hazardous Materials Fire Rescue Station. The warehouse supports a regional approach to the acquisition and distribution of fire rescue supplies and equipment, enhancing the level of service provided by the Broward Sheriff’s Office and providing cost benefits to local municipalities through bulk purchasing of supplies and equipment. The combined cost of the new facility is $12.8 million.’

http://sheriff.org/about_bso/admin/media/newsdetails.cfm?pk=1778&sType=N

Years ago we heard as residents of LBTS that the BSO and Sheriff Ken Jenne were going to build a fire house right here….

Time has passed… BSO  Fire/EMS is gone…and now we have an old firehouse…and a “new” McIntee Public Safety Complex…that will still look like a hotel..

more to come…

Tags: BSO, Local Politics, Scoops, VFD
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KUDOS to the Town …with an incredibly quick response….in 1 hour and 45 minutes!…

Below is a second request….due to the VFD Constitution provided…appearing to be the one prior to the latest version used by the VFD…

Question is…is the Town in receipt of the 2003 or 2004 version?…and the By- Laws…

This writer has had no response from the VFD …Fire Chief Bob Perkins…

Below is the follow-up request to the Town…Town Attorney…VFD…

Posts will be made of comparisons between the 2 contracts…and also items of interest in the contracts/2000 Constitution….

The e-mail…today near 6 pm….

Madam Town Manager Colon
Madam Town Clerk White
Town Attorney Abbott
VFD Fire Chief Perkins

I appreciate the quick response by the Town with my request for the VFD-LBTS 2000/2008 contracts and the VFD Constitution.
I do believe the Constitution provided by the Town with a cover page showing a 1999 year on it is not the latest version being used by the VFD.
If there is another Constitution with updated By-Laws from 2003 or 2004, I would like that version.
Is the Town in receipt of the version the VFD is using?
Also,I would like to know the Town’s role in any continued disregard from the VFD in honoring my request for public information?
Thank you, Barbara Cole

more to come….

Tags: Updates, VFD
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It’s Almost Over….

Forget the early voting…this writer is not a fan…more of a traditionalist that comes with a comfort level from following past voting practices… wanting all the information until the final day….not wanting to encounter “buyers” remorse….that comes with a life altering “no return” policy once that bubble is inked and the ” I Voted” sticker is stuck on my lapel….

In these last 4 days…if there was such a return policy….how long would those lines be…in light of the sudden “conscience” some of the “assist” media outlets are only now feeling “comfortable” in printing… actual articles calling out Obama on his plans…his promises….at this late date……now that they feel the fix is in…pronouncing Obama’s big win a forgone conclusion……thinking this sudden show of real journalistic questioning will buy them cover for their long-term bias after Nov. 4th….if anyone dares to call them on it….that is…

Could we be so lucky for the L A Times to join these slew of “conscious” journalists in the remaining days…the Washington Post…CBS News……etc….with a tape or a transcript of Obama’s questionable attendance with Bill Ayers and Khalidi…that if truly explosive….would make that return line …if there were one for many early voters….mimic the doors opening at Harrods famous annual stampede sale?…

The Conspiracy theorists among us…could have had a field day with the hi-jinks…the timing of what has been going on around these parts…in these last few count- down …single- digit days….no cable…no computer…no Comcast…and then only CNN…2 days running…on and off…. on CNN…it was Obama T.V…….Obama ads…Obama in split screen…in 4 screens…Obama…blue nation….Obama…Obama….Obama…

Remember subliminal advertising at drive-ins……pushing popcorn and a coke…while waiting for the scary George Orwell movie…. “CHANGE”……”OBAMA”….HMMMM…..

So as of today….at this hour….this writer is voting for McCain….and unless you are now hitting the bookmarks to move on to your next favorite’s site….let me tell you why….

Because whether it is local or state or national…as an independent voter…an independent thinker…I look for the same content in each candidate……their character…their openness…….their track record…and how they run their campaign…the candidate…not those hovering around them…(see the Sausage series to see why the candidate cannot be judged by those within their campaign group)….

I want the candidate to come with a willingness to work with both sides…old and new…to be fiscally responsible…to let independents…be independent…less government… not more… to be fair…to do better …fulfilling their promises…same as what I wanted for LBTS…last January…

I truly believe McCain will do that…because he already has…he produced anything that he was asked to..he has the track record of working across the aisle…he has the backbone and the drive to make the right decisions…the hard and unpopular decisions….he pays the women on his staff the same or more…and he is so close…in these last days…to his opponent…no matter what the “pollsters” say… the “in his back pocket” massive media assist to Obama…from day one…..and the incredible amount of money he is up against…because he chose to stick with the federal funds….due to his own principles…and keeping the promise his opponent did not…and it is a given…. he will return to his center…..after the election…

Barack Obama…on the other hand….certainly is “change”…a “chameleon” kind of change…that takes on whatever is advantageous to him at the time…it’s his history…his personality… purposely …methodically kept off the front pages on the news…a lucky guy…you bet…a guy who seems to have the sun and moon align…more often than seems humanly possible…in terms of his success…from entry into Ivy league schools ……Law Review Editorial posts…million dollar book deals…shady real estate deals…prestigious law firms… professorships…being in the right place at the right time meeting politically connected insiders…who craftily formed the rung by rung….ladder to his ascent…he has an ability to compartmentalize the likes of Bill Clinton…able to feel the sunshine on his face while fully aware of the down and dirty work done behind the scenes on his behalf…working in nefarious ways to keep that sunbeam squarely aimed on him…keep him outfitted in a Teflon coat of armor …all so swift…all so calculated….all so suppressive… all so easy…all so unsettling…

He pays his women staffers less than the men…..he will certainly move to back the left….he is for a Palestinian State….he is for government demanded “volunteers”…a civilian “army” that rivals the one we have…he is for “spreading the wealth”..”fairness”…”building from the bottom up”…no more “code” required……he has gone back on most of his “promises”….the biggest being the financing of his campaign… amassing a truly massive amount of money…

Those who are behind him now…calling all the shots…shaping his rhetoric…writing his platform…are not the same backers as before the general election..or before the primary…..who will be the next front and center group shaping his policy…his rhetoric …..after his January swearing in…….if this pattern of “change” is the same?….

No paper trail …no college admittance paperwork…no standardized scores…no grades…no Law Review articles…no medical report…no voting record…no experience…no reason to think.. the answers will come…before Nov. 4,2008…at 6:30 pm….

So barring any major revelations…pro or con….coming out before half past the 6 pm hour….I’ll be voting for McCain….

more to come….

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TONIGHT …6:30-8:30 pm…Jarvis Hall/Municipal Park…

This just may be the 1st event…that brings both sides together….thanks to the involvement of the Chamber of Commerce and the LBTS businesses….

Bring the kids…and check it out….

Tags: Places To Go
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ON THE FENCE….LOOKING FOR SOME BACKGROUND….

Check out the Sentry… why…..they went with McCain…

http://flsentry.com/

Tags: Local News, McCain, Obama, Politics
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THE REST OF THE STORY….

As this writer sat down on the “Right” side of the hall…I turned to ask a former elected official if he ever remembered an agenda with no New Business….he and the gentleman to his left said no……

At public comments …we had one member of the audience who in recent days has been quite riled with Commissioner Dodd….and the matters that are front and center…oversight…VFD…and the Town Manager….he spoke of the need for the VFD fire engine to follow the ambulance…after Chief Perkins had changed the amount of time the VFD would continue the practice adding on another month…the resident’s  reason…so the firefighters could take down the front door…a call to a VFD member after the meeting…brought about this response….the need to break down the door …would be a very rare occurrence …probably known before the EMS went out on the call….this member reiterated what was told to this writer previously by a  VFD member …that the only reason BSO fire followed BSO EMS was to have the 3rd EMS or Paramedic at the scene…now fully covered by AMR-EMS responders on their own….

Another resident stood and called for the Vice Mayor and Commissioner Silverstone to step down from the Commission…asking about sunshine…wearing 2 “hats”….and questioning the Manager as the sole VFD oversight….

When he finished…the Vice Mayor declared it was a personal attack and asked the Mayor to take charge… when she responded she did not see it as such…he became indignant ….she replied that she “recognized his sensitivity ” which only “amped” him and his pal Comm. Silverstone to go after her…with McIntee saying she spent $1000 for a fest that became political…and telling her to tell the resident to “shut up”….NICE!….

This same resident was previously appointed by the Vice Mayor at the last Commission meeting to the Walk Around Committee…arriving at the hall …this resident informed me he had already resigned….

The final public comment came from a north side resident and former firefighter also present at the Saturday beach rescue…recounting his observations…from the front of the building…the arrival of the VFD trucks…their descent on the beach ….and what he saw as he followed them onto the beach…he concurred the previous public comments made by Mark Mitchell….

Commissioner Comments…

Commissioner Dodd began with a request for the Mayor to again put on the agenda for the next meeting an oversight committee…explaining the urgency due to the recent events…the inadequate inquiry….and the lack of timely information available to the residents…he took the time to counter the dreadful new Mc-publication of the BTSTimes….with “staff” writers…taking aim at him distorting his platform and accusing him of being developer friendly…ignoring his past efforts to responsibly have development that was both the height limits the voters voted for…and correct for the lots and the town…he had to take issue once again to the “scorched earth” tactics…that asking the hard questions…requiring answers of the VFD  in no way meant he was anti-VFD…again going over his platform…well known to all without their own retaliatory agendas….

Vice Mayor McIntee…gave his thanks…to Hero Mark Mitchell and then in his usual style…told Mitchell he did not have the whole story…going on to tell it the McIntee way…and leaving AMR to face the music…saying “mistakes may have been made by the VFD”…”but their hearts were in the right place”…HUH?….His ISO oversight is addressed in a previous post…(LBTS agenda #4)….he did get rather angry with this writer …as I laughed about his statement that an oversight committee could be entertained in 6 months to a year!…He told us we should all stand behind these guys…sleeping on couches 4-5 of them a night to protect this town…and in true McIntee dramatics…warned us all…”The Town will rise up”…if we are “selective of the VFD.”…not quite Al Jolson this time…….due to his being under the weather….obviously the effects of his ocean rescue attempt….

Mayor Minnet…welcomed new attendees…talked of Halloween…her appointment to the League of Cities Climate Change Task Force…the Nov. 10th parking workshop…5 pm..asking for calls from residents and businesses…again talked of her long held belief for oversight of all 3 public safety providers…

Comm. Clottey…gave a nod to the Town Manager for LBTS being financially strong in pensions for the employees and elected officials…another nod to Halloween…added her concerns about the VFD and the demoralizing effects on the members…the need to show support…she spoke of her instituting the rip tide info in all condos and hotels…adding a desire to have a link to a rip tide site from the Town website…she spoke of the discourse on the dais…and reminded all that she was for freedom of speech …voting down the originally overturned McIntee- introduced…ruling of not allowing people to call the Commission by name….finishing up with the tragic beach event…and saying the community needs to decide what they are willing to pay for…she ended with…”don’t look at the VFD and say they screwed up again.”…

Commissioner Silverstone…also thanked Hero Mark Mitchell…and went on to assist McIntee in putting the onus on AMR…not the VFD….he acknowledged that this was the very first time he actually wrote out his Commissioner comments…REALLY?…He really did not need to…. for much of it was a repeat of past comments he has made…the divide in town…the negative attacks…and not liking the accusations that he wears 2 “hats”…that he is “appalled” by the statement…that he wears…8…no 12…no 20 something hats…over his years of involvement in this town…with coaching…volunteering…and being in organizations…speaking of “hypocrites”…and “who does not want us to succeed”….”working for or against the town”…

BCbythesea…the 2 “hats”…Commissioner Silvertstone has to do with the Commission and the VFD…and where your primary responsibility lies…as seen with the resignation letter….most of your constituents think…your responsibility to the town comes first…and that together or independently…you and Vice Mayor McIntee should have taken that letter…upon receipt September 30,2008….directly to Town Manager Colon….to make sure that the town would be properly be served by the VFD as they took over the very next day….Oct.1,2008…

By choosing not to do that…to hide it…you wore 2 “hats”…and decided the VFD came first…and with that decision…. came the most disturbing “conflict of interest” seen….by many you represent….Do you get it now?….

Final business of the evening…was old business…returning to the electronic voting system….tabled by Comm. Silverstone pending investigating the cost to have it computerized…the cost $10 thousand dollars…this was brought to the dais …right after the election by Comm. Dodd…and before the vote…. in what brought back to light ….the “Chamber” on Commercial pronouncement made from the Vice Mayor….(previous post…scoops.)..that turned out to be from a faithful reader…repeated from McIntee as if it was his own verbatim…he did it again…only this time…he claimed he talked to some people…that initially he was against the voting system…….and then…. incredibly…. proceeded to give the benefits of having the system…in order to have independent commission votes…almost verbatim of the statements made by Comm. Clottey at the Oct. 14th Commission meeting….YIKES!…the system passed 3-2…Silverstone/Minnet dissenting…

The equity in Commissioner’s pay…was clarified by Comm. Clottey…and talk of it being something put into play for the next Mayor rather than the present one…in the end it was put to bed…for now….

The Town Attorney had nothing to report…and will be looking into the resolution for Broward to supply lifeguards for town beaches…a mix-up in direction delayed him moving forth….on the draft…

Adjourned…

Tags: LBTS Agendas/Meetings, Local Politics, Scoops, VFD
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From: Barbara Cole <[email protected]>
Subject: public records requests
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Date: Thursday, October 30, 2008, 2:02 PM

Madam Town Manager Colon
Madam Town Clerk White
Town Attorney Abbott
VFD Chief Perkins
I have been waiting now for a response for public records information from the VFD since mid- September.
Chief Perkins has spoken to me 3 times and said the information would be made available, with any exception not covered under public information.
I have still not been in receipt of the request as of today, Oct. 30, 2008.
I would also like to request the following in addition to the request that Chief Perkins has acknowledged he was in receipt of via e-mail response mid-September.
I require…
1. 2004 or latest version of VFD By-Laws
2. 2004 or latest VFD Constitution
3. VFD-LBTS contract prior to termination in 2006
4. VFD-LBTS contract presently used.
I await a response of receipt of this request and will pay any copying costs incurred.

Barbara Cole

Sorry to say it seems that the de-facto Fire Chief McIntee…is muzzling the VFD and denying the freedom of information act….another reason to insist on oversight….and to acknowledge who is calling the shots in the department.

The Town Attorney is on record saying that a response should be in a reasonable amount of time.

The Vice Mayor and Commissioner Silverstone…along with Chief Perkins…have stood in Jarvis Hall and said their books are open…but to whom?….

more to come….

Tags: Local Politics, public records request, Scoops, VFD
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WHEN IS THE CIC LIKE ACORN?………

Looks like the CIC Board is asking their members to vote …often….to support the VFD in what they believe was a negative VFD article.in yesterday’s Sentinel…… a CIC alert that went out today….after a look at the not so “supportive” voting thus far….THINK ACORN?….HMMM…click…click…click…click…to watch the voting become skewed…

Click here: Switch to volunteer fire department a hot topic in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea — South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

‘How safe would you feel with a volunteer fire department?’

As safe as I feel with a professional department Slightly less safe Much less safe Safer I don’t know

As safe as I feel with a professional department (43 responses)

29.7%

Slightly less safe (8 responses)

5.5%

Much less safe (75 responses)

51.7%

Safer (19 responses)

13.1%

I don’t know (0 responses)

0.0%

• 145 total responses (Results not scientific)
• more to come…..
  

Tags: cic, Civic Organizations, Local Politics, News, Scoops, VFD
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ISO ….IMPARTIAL OVERSIGHT…..YOU CAN COUNT ON?….

Vice Mayor McIntee would like the residents to believe that we don’t need an Oversight Committee…can’t find one that’s impartial…especially in this town…and that includes previous hard serving VFD veterans…OUCH!…

This writer has had quite an education since walking out into the sunlight…away from the world according to McIntee and Mc-Gang…especially when it comes to the past VFD…pre-McIntee…arriving to the fold…

It’s a funny thing…that happens when you encounter McIntee and gang…it’s as if your life begins…to them that is……..your past…your persona…is whatever they decide ……because it really does not matter…your accomplishments…your history …what you can bring to the table…are disregarded…for none of that is of interest…only what happens within this 2+ mile Mc-VFD-CIC LBTS Town Limits….. the suffocating Mc- fighting us against all others….world within these boundaries…

Now we are hearing …from the de-facto VFD Chief…that those who came before him…and served…are biased…they have a chip on their shoulders and would do the VFD in….YIKES!….

How in the world did the VFD survive all those years prior to his arrival?……

No one wants to hurt the moral of the VFD especially those who were part of its tradition…its history….so why the insults hurled at those who preceded McIntee?…What’s he got to hide?….

One look at the resignation letter….the fact that the letter was leaked purposely by VFD board members…and what it contains from the Vice Mayor…tells it all…the de-moralizing of the VFD rank and file…comes directly from the man who will not step down…will not stop until he himself repeats the 2nd termination of the VFD …a real possibility….

No wonder the Vice Mayor was pushing so hard to get the VFD Referendum up and running before they took over officially…covering his tracks ….making it impossible for oversight…impossible for residents to have any recourse…

This VFD “forever” referendum is still on the agenda…for November 10,2008….Ordinance 2008-17…(although this writer recalls it was moved…until after the first of the year.)…doesn’t really matter now…because as previously posted…this referendum will lose…and in light of the Vice Mayor’s actions…over the last 30 days…it’s dead in the water for sure….

A faithful Reader…sent this ISO link….take a look at what they offer…what they cover…as oversight…recommendations…

http://www.isomitigation.com/ppc/2000/ppc2007.html

Fire Department Fire Department Fire Department Fire Department …

AN oversight in 2007…Key largo… by Emergency Service Consulting, Inc….compare what they can offer….http://www.esci.us/

View as HTML
Key Largo Fire Rescue & EMS District, FL. 2007 Fire Department Evaluation ……

distribution of authority and executive or administrative oversight.

Of Note in the report…their recommendations…

A Professional District Fire Chief … which this writer understands is an option open to the Town……

a cap for monthly costs per FF ….not to exceed…on calls……

A process for appealing a dismissal……..recourse to recent actions…VFD firings….

and many other recommendations…coming from a full analysis…that includes… VFD/EMS/Commission/Administration….full participation…

comments…are welcome…

more to come….

Tags: LBTS Agendas/Meetings, Local Politics, oversight, Scoops, VFD
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From a faithful reader…

WILL OF MY PEOPLE….

‘over the past few years we heard the mantra (i looked up the meaning of mantra=”a mythical formula of invocation and incantation”=seems to fit) about the “will of the people” and believed it was intended to mean the will of the majority of the people. but, alas, that appears not to be so. it appears that it is more like the “will of my people”. the town charter reflects the will of the people, the majority of voters who approved the 44′ height limits. so how can the current commission refuse to honor the wishes of the majority who put each of them in their seats on the dais? “all authority is derived from the will of the people. the power and authority to rule, to legislate…resides with the people. and it is only by the people granting this power and authority…to legislators…do these same individuals become legislators…” and it is the power of the “will of the people” that the power and authority can be taken away. while the commission doesn’t have a legal responsibility here they do have an ethical one.’

Thanks…reader…

more to come

Tags: lbts height limits, Local Politics, Scoops
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