On November 6, 2019, Oakland Park’s Fire Rescue gave the public a view of its new Enforcer E-ONE heavy rescue truck. Outside of Oakland Park’s city hall, just before the November commission meeting, residents were invited to take a look.
The Oakland Park Fire Rescue Department covers approximately 9 square miles with a population of over 43,000 residents. The city of Oakland Park also sees a surge of workday commuters which can add 20,000 people on our roadways most days. The department covers a substantial portion of I-95 and has two major railroad stations which run through Oakland Park Fire Rescue’s service area.
The cost of the new E-ONE was around $600,000 with an additional $80,000 in customizations to cover the needs of Oakland Park’s vast variety of incidents. Most notably, the rescue work that is done on I-95 and various warehouse fires.
The heavy rescue truck was personalized with the help of experts in the field. Fire Chief Stephen Krivjanik, Chief Kevin Fornash, firefighters Hall, Burgess and Leonard were also part of the expert consulting team that customized the heavy rescue truck with these purposes in mind.
Equipped with both safety features for residential and commercial incidents as well as the crew on board, the team left no stone unturned. From the 1,000-gallon gas tank to the battery-powered extraction equipment to a ladder just in case it’s needed, the E-ONE was designed for multiple uses.
The E-ONE also has a center mount pump control station which allows the operator not only a 360-degree view but also keeps the operator out of harm’s way while operating one of the many pumps. Especially crucial when crews are working on the side of I-95 when they can be most vulnerable.
The E-ONE is also equipped with articulating lights that can be used to brighten large areas, keeping firefighters out of the dark during rescues. A new safety feature late to Florida fire rescue vehicles has also been implemented. Blue LED lights. Studies have shown that blue lights help drivers be more cognizant of an emergency vehicle’s presence prompting them to drive slower and be more aware that they are approaching emergency vehicles rather than a tow truck for instance.
While not a ladder truck, the rescue truck does have a ladder for various purposes. It also neatly houses saws, expandable cribbing devices to stabilize vehicles, and has multiple functionality features such as extra storage for oxygen tanks and shelves that pull out vertically for ease of finding critical tools such as axes. The organizational aspect was well thought out, allowing firefighters quicker access to their equipment.
Oakland Park’s new E-ONE heavy rescue truck is 8 feet longer than standard models. “For now, the E-ONE will be housed outdoors under a tarp until the new fire station is built, as it will not currently fit in the station’s garage”, according to Fire Chief Krivjanik. “I am just so thankful to the residents of Oakland Park and the current commission to have this new fire rescue truck to serve the community”, he also adds.
The new E-ONE heavy rescue truck boasts a variety of new features that the station will be training on for about one month before it hits Oakland Park streets. There will be a formal unveiling held in December once the crew is trained on its many uses.
Rhiannon Samoyedny was born and raised in South Florida. She has lived in Oakland Park for over 25 years and purchased her home in Garden Acres in 2012 where she resides with her husband, two teenaged boys, a few rescue cats, and her dog.
Her professional career began as a project manager and estimator for a small Oakland Park construction company and she later went on to earn her degree in Court Reporting, where she later incorporated her own small business RS Reporting, Inc.
She has a passion for gardening and attends many horticulture classes and workshops. She is also an LGA (Local Government Academy) graduate, class of 2019, and an active community volunteer and activist. You can usually find her around town at various Oakland Park meetings and events with her notebook, so be sure to say hello.
© 2019 LivingInOaklandPark.com is published by The Pink Pineapple Creative Company LLC. The Pink Pineapple Creative Company LLC is owned by Desiree Avila, M.A., P.A. Realtor®, C2EX, PSA®, SRS®, SFR®, ABR®, GRI, e-Pro, and AHDWD. Desiree Avila is licensed Florida Realtor® with Charles Rutenberg Realty in Fort Lauderdale. For information about real estate in the area go to www.desireeavilarealtor.com
LivingInOaklandPark.com is an independent publication not affiliated with the City of Oakland Park.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE : Content may not be copied, reproduced, transmitted, distributed, downloaded or transferred in any form or by any means without LivingInOaklandPark.com’s prior written consent, and with express attribution to LivingInOaklandPark.com. Copyright infringement is a violation of federal law subject to criminal and civil penalties.
One Comment
Comments are closed.