Fort Lauderdale fire rescue, code compliance and Port Everglades officials outline marine response gaps and safety work

Fort Lauderdale fire-rescue and city code officials told the Marine Advisory Board on Feb. 6 that the city’s marine response handles dozens of incidents each month but remains limited by staffing and the way vessels are deployed.

The board heard that the city’s watercraft and dive teams respond to about 30 to 40 calls per month, a mix of medical evacuations, vessel fires and capsizes, and that several recent large incidents — including a pair of vapor explosions and a yacht fire at Pier 66 — illustrated both the team’s capability and gaps in coverage.

The details: Sergeant Travis O’Neil, who oversees some waterway enforcement, reported recent statistics including multiple vessel crashes with no significant injuries and about 31 citations from recent patrols. Manny Garcia, senior compliance officer for the City of Fort Lauderdale, said compliance officers performed 63…