Miami Lakes committee agrees to sponsor First Alarm foundation at fall festival after proposal for first-responder walk

A representative of First Alarm, identifying herself as the foundation’s founder, asked the Miami Lakes Mental Health Task Force to let the organization lead a pre-festival walk to raise awareness about first-responders’ mental health. The task force voted to sponsor First Alarm as the nonprofit partner for the October fall festival.

The request came during the committee’s discussion of new business when the founder said, “I'm from First Alarm. I'm the founder,” and described recent local first-responder suicides she wants the event to honor. She told the committee, “I would love to dedicate that 5 k to them,” and proposed holding a walk or 5K before the festival so participants could attend the festival afterward.

Town staff advised there are two common ways to run such an event: route it through a committee that would provide planning support and then obtain council approval, or run it independently and apply for a special-events permit so the organizer handles logistics such as road closures and insurance. A committee member warned that a properly managed 5K can be costly, saying, “The cost is gonna be about 20,000,” and adding that “Police alone is 8,000.” Committee members discussed a lower-cost alternative — a walkathon or a short course inside a park — that would reduce or avoid road closures and related police costs.

Committee members agreed to incorporate First Alarm into the fall festival’s plans and to coordinate logistics and fundraising with the organization. A motion that First Alarm be the festival’s sponsored nonprofit for the October event was made, seconded, and approved by voice vote; the meeting transcript records members responding “Aye.” The committee directed staff and the foundation to coordinate details, including whether the activity would be a walkathon inside a park or a full 5K requiring street closures.

Committee discussion emphasized practical limits: without major sponsorship, a formal 5K could consume much of the event’s net proceeds. Members suggested alternatives such as a commemorative walk, banners or plaques, a small ceremonial start, or other in-festival activities that highlight first responders without incurring the highest costs.

The committee also recommended First Alarm consult with the town’s public-safety committee and with veterans-event organizers to reduce scheduling conflicts with existing fundraisers. Staff told the founder she could present with a town liaison at an upcoming council meeting to seek formal approval and wider support.

The vote to name First Alarm as the festival nonprofit clears the way for the organization and town staff to develop a more detailed plan for the October festival, including a timeline, permit requirements, and sponsorship targets.