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Beach communities press Pinellas County to fully staff Rescue 27 with a paramedic
Summary
Multiple speakers from Indian Rocks Beach and surrounding barrier-island communities urged the commission to provide funding to staff Rescue 27 with a transport-capable paramedic, citing drawbridge delays, limited BLS responses, and public-safety gaps for island residents.
Residents and local fire-district officials told the commission that Rescue 27, the transport-capable rescue unit serving northern barrier islands, needs full-time paramedic staffing.
"Fully staffing Rescue 27 would finally close this long standing service gap and provide our residents with the level of emergency protection they deserve," Lan Vaughn (speaker 7) said on behalf of several beach cities and multiple resolutions supporting full staffing. Kelly Syserk explained operational challenges on the Barrier Islands, including drawbridge delays and a high rate of basic-life-support (BLS) calls that lack paramedic-level care.
Speakers said the current configuration sometimes forces borrowing paramedics from other districts or relies on BLS ambulances that cannot deliver advanced cardiac or IV medications in transit. Sunstar and other transport services were cited as sometimes delayed by bridge openings. Representatives and the Suncoast Fire Rescue District thanked the commission for funding Station 75 but asked for a clear path in the next budget cycle to finalize Rescue 27 staffing.
County staff acknowledged crew and resource constraints and said discussions with fire-rescue leadership and county EMS are ongoing. No final funding decision was made at the meeting; commissioners requested further information and pledged to continue collaborative planning with fire-district partners at upcoming meetings.
