St. Petersburg buys three high‑water rescue vehicles after recent storms; council approves unanimous funding

St. Petersburg City Council unanimously approved a purchase to add three reconditioned high‑water rescue vehicles to the Fire & Rescue fleet, part of an effort to improve rescue and firefighting capability in repeatedly flood‑prone neighborhoods. The council voted to approve the item (F2) by voice/roll call; the clerk announced the motion passed unanimously.

Vice Chair Hannah Witts, who pulled the item from the consent agenda, described station‑level requests after the storms that followed Hurricane Helen and other flood events. Fire department staff presented specifications for the three vehicles: reconditioned trucks with air conditioning, bench seating in the bed, protective tonneau covers, side lift gates designed to load stretchers and wheelchairs from street level into the bed, and two of the three vehicles fitted with fire pumps for firefighting capability when full engines cannot reach flooded locations. Staff noted the vehicles will be maintained in the city fleet and positioned to provide broader north/south/west coverage.

Fire staff recounted prior rescues that motivated the purchase: during one heavy rain event the department said it rescued 75 civilians and 18 pets in a three‑hour window; during other storm events crews used multiple high‑water vehicles and borrowed equipment from other departments to respond to dozens of evacuations. Fire leaders and council members described past instances where crews had to improvise with laddering systems or drop small boats from trucks to reach stranded residents.

Council members from multiple districts praised the purchase as a life‑saving investment, asked whether more vehicles would be needed as climate risks increase, and urged staff to return with recommendations as call volumes and flood incidents change. Councilmember Brandy Gabbard and others asked if the three vehicles would be sufficient; fire staff said additional needs will be identified and returned to council as call volumes and risk patterns evolve.

Administration thanked Fleet, procurement and Fire & Rescue staff for expediting the acquisition. Staff noted that the vehicles will be staged across the city once final station assignments are selected; council asked that staff notify members when placements are decided. The motion passed unanimously; staff said vehicles will be integrated into the fleet, with ongoing maintenance by Fleet Services and follow‑up reporting to council on operational deployment.

Ending: Council emphasized the purchase as a proactive investment to protect residents and first responders; staff committed to reporting back if additional vehicles or other flood‑response tools are required as part of future budgets or emergency preparedness requests.