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Monroe County fire chief outlines plan for countywide fire‑rescue marine response but commissioners decline immediate funding commitment
Summary
Fire Rescue briefed the board on a proposed two‑boat marine response program with suppression and ALS capacity; chief estimated significant recurring costs and urged cautious planning; commissioners asked staff to pursue coordination with existing agencies and training before committing local funds.
Monroe County Fire Rescue presented an initial plan on April 16 to implement a county‑level marine emergency response capability that would place fire‑rescue‑staffed vessels at strategic locations along the island chain.
Chief Kaleena (Monroe County Fire Rescue) told commissioners the department had been exploring the idea since high‑profile boating incidents and said the intent was to provide advanced life support and fire suppression capability on the water beyond what other agencies presently offer. "The plan was to eventually 1 day to build on that," she said, recounting meetings with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Coast Guard, sheriffs and municipal partners.
The chief outlined a two‑boat model and provided ballpark cost estimates: capital costs for two vessels were shown near $523,000 each in staff slides (staff cited an approximate capital figure of about $1,046,000 for two boats) and the chief said operating and personnel costs could push the county’s recurring expense to roughly $1.6–1.9 million a year once full staffing and equipment were in place. She warned that state legislative appropriations intended for boats could require multi‑year extensions and that the county must be prepared to complete and sustain an operation if it accepted any donated or appropriated boats.
Speakers from other Florida fire agencies and from a victims’ family urged the county to move forward. Mark Mascarelli, a fire chief from Lee County who runs an established marine response program, said similar programs operate across Florida and that fire‑rescue boats are often staffed with firefighters who are on duty and temporarily respond to marine events without a separate dedicated crew. "Fire boats are not that hard to operate, they're not that expensive to operate," he said, arguing for a staged start.
Commissioners raised concerns about the county’s budgetary capacity, training and the length of the Keys (a linear, 120‑mile jurisdiction) that would require replicated resources. Several commissioners said they supported planning and regional coordination but did not want to commit local funds at this time. The board directed staff to continue research and coordination with partner agencies and suggested exploring interim options such as increased training with FWC, towing operators and the Coast Guard rather than immediate capital commitments.
Ending: The board did not approve funding for a dedicated two‑boat program. Staff were asked to continue work on coordination, training and scaled options and to return with more details before any financial commitment.
