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Fire Rescue and PBSO present annual reports; sheriff’s office introduces Crisis Response Team pilot
Summary
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue summarized response metrics and programs including whole blood and mobile integrated health; Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) presented district statistics and introduced a new Crisis Response Team pilot pairing clinicians with detectives for repeated mental‑health calls.
The Town Council heard three public safety briefings. Amanda (Palm Beach County Fire Rescue) presented the department’s annual report: in fiscal year 2024 the countywide service area ran roughly 700 calls in Loxahatchee Groves, the town had 365 transports and the agency emphasized whole‑blood transfusion capability, mobile integrated health services and a 7:49 average response time locally. Chief presenter Amanda noted that public outreach, CPR/AED and other community risk‑reduction programs are available by request.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office delivered an annual district report summarizing calls for service trends: reductions in some violent crime categories, increased deputy self‑initiated activity, and particular spikes in fraud, vehicle burglaries and property crimes in certain locations. District 15 command staff explained deputies issued more visibility checks and increased traffic enforcement during 2024.
PBSO also introduced the Crisis Response Team (CRT), a pilot behavioral‑services unit pairing detectives with clinicians and a case manager to respond to in‑progress mental health calls and repetitive Baker Act incidents. Sergeant Bernie Hernandez described the unit’s model: plain‑clothes, clinician‑led outreach aimed at defusing crises, connecting residents to services, and reducing repetitive calls for service. PBSO staff said the CRT is a pilot with plans to scale staffing and hours if results demonstrate effectiveness.
Why it matters: The presentations underline public safety resources and new approaches to mental‑health crisis response regionally; the CRT model promises an alternative to arrest for people in behavioral crisis and aims to reduce repeated emergency‑call burdens on road patrol.
Ending: Council thanked the agencies and asked staff to share training and outreach materials; Fire Rescue agreed to post the complete annual report on the town website and PBSO said deputies will continue visible checks and explore targeted deployment options.
