August Incidents 2018

For several years now running, the summer months will routinely bring about a windfall for the Jacksonville Fire/Rescue Department in the form of untold quantities of bottled water courtesy of the Firehouse Subs Restaurant Group and their respective patrons. The 'H2O For Heroes' campaign, whereby visiting customers at each Firehouse Subs restaurant can donate bottles of water which, in turn, are collected by the franchise and turned over to the Department for retrieval, has provided our city's first responders with an extremely valuable, important and vital resource during Florida's legendary hot and humid summer months. A big thank you therefore to Firehouse Subs and all of you who have contributed to this much appreciated endeavor!
For the firefighters assigned to the "B" - Shift at Fire Station #1, Sunday the 26th of August will forever be etched into their memories as one of the most memorable in their entire careers. Training at a parking garage directly across the street from the Jacksonville Landing just before 2 PM that day, the crews from Engine and Ladder 1 were suddenly alerted to a corybantic, frenzied activity originating from the Landing, more specifically throngs of people streaming out of the doors and running down the street. Without any hesitation, the firefighters swiftly moved to the area of the commotion, promptly encountering an adult male who had a gunshot wound to his chest. While simultaneously treating the patient and flagging down a nearby police officer, the firefigters were soon confronted by, once again, yet another gunshot wound victim: only this time with additional information being delivered that at least eight more victims remained inside of the building. Although standard protocols typically demand forbearance from the firefighters before entering into a scene incorporating a possible active shooter, providing law enforcement with an opportunity to first secure the area prior to any patient contact, the immediacy and exigency of the situation demanded both intuition as well as expedient, focused action from the firefighters who were already in the middle of any potential hot zone. Accompanied by a police officer, the first responders made their way into the building, actually a gaming establishment hosting a weekend long Madden Football tournament, eventually encountering more severely wounded victims including three deceased males: one of which, as would be later discovered, the actual shooter. In all, 9 victims would be transported to Level One Trauma Centers in town but, undeniably, lives were most assuredly saved by the actions of the firefighters at the scene: any hesitation would have delayed patient contact, with law enforcement measures to clear and secure the building resulting in further valuable time expiring and, potentially, some of the survivors bleeding out prior to the arrival of any form of pre-hospital care. A great job by the crews assigned to Engine and Ladder 1 "B!"