Movember Open House at the Key Biscayne Fire Rescue Department

Sparky the Dog greets kids at the Key Biscayne Fire Rescue Department Open House for ‘Movember’ men’s health awareness, Nov. 3 (Key News_Annali Hayward)

The Key Biscayne Fire Rescue Department threw open its doors to the public Saturday for the benefit of men’s health, and to highlight the special relationship between the Village and the City of Miami fire service. An estimated 100 people turned out to learn more about their firefighters.

‘Movember’ sees moustaches adorning the faces of the force’s finest for a month, to highlight mens’ health. It follows Breast Cancer Awareness month in October, when firefighters could be seen around the Key in t-shirts displaying pink ribbons, the symbol of breast cancer.

Marie Gumá, the department’s new Community Risk Reduction Manager, explained it is important to raise awareness for mens’ health, given that both cancer and mental health are big problems facing the community today. 

The Quint truck raises its 107-ft ladder, which can reach as far up as an eight-story building, at the KBFR Movember open house, Nov. 5 (Key News/Annali Hayward)

At the event, excited children had a chance to meet Sparky the Fire Dog, to ring the bell on the fire trucks and to see the heavy-duty equipment brought over by the City of Miami Fire Rescue department. This included a special high-water tow truck, which can pull boats through floodwater. They also marveled as the 107-ft ladder on one of the Village’s ‘quints’ (a type of firetruck that costs $882,000) extended up into the sky and was scaled – without a harness, as is usual – by one of the team. 

Proudly on display was the EleGuard system, a brand-new piece of life-saving equipment that the Village is sixth in the nation to deploy. The special technique raises the head of a patient in cardiac arrest so that CPR compression and depression do not force blood into the brain and cause trauma. Preclinical trials have shown the use of the EleGard to have significantly better outcomes for cardiac arrest patients, returning heart rates to normal levels after 17 minutes of using this equipment along with other existing pieces. The department is understandably very excited about providing this to Key Biscayners.

Marco Delgado shows off the new EleGard life-saving equipment at the ‘Movember’ open house Nov. 3 (Key News/Annali Hayward)

Deputy Chief Marcos Osorio said the Village has had a successful relationship and “automatic aid agreement” with the City Of Miami Fire Rescue for 27 years – a reciprocal relationship that Key Biscayne, as a small department, benefits from greatly. 

“It means we have the life-saving capabilities of the City of Miami,” said Gumá.

“Miami Fire Rescue has the most resources closest to Key Biscayne, allowing them to arrive in the quickest response time than any other surrounding team and allowing us to meet National Fire Protection Association standards,” continued Osorio. 

“The relationships have been established from command all the way down to firefighters,” he said, “which is what has made this a success.”

Gumá is due to resume the Teen Talks in the coming weeks. Look for more information in Key News.