Fort Lauderdale, Florida – The City of Fort Lauderdale and Broward Health marked another milestone in their ongoing partnership Thursday, officially welcoming a new co-branded ambulance to the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue (FLFR) fleet during a traditional fire service push-in ceremony at Fire Station 2.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, Broward Health President and CEO Shane Strum, Fort Lauderdale Fire Chief Stephen Gollan and leaders from both organizations joined FLFR personnel in physically pushing the ambulance into the station bay, continuing a fire service tradition dating back to the days of horse-drawn apparatus.
The ambulance is the result of a collaboration between Broward Health and FLFR aimed at expanding public health, emergency medical and community outreach efforts. The vehicle was made possible through state funding secured through an appropriations request sponsored by former State Senator Lauren Book and State Representative Daryl Campbell.
“This new ambulance represents what we can accomplish when we work together to meet the needs of our community,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. “Our partnership with Broward Health is helping Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue expand its reach beyond traditional emergency response and connect people with care and resources where they need them. We are grateful to Broward Health and our state partners for investing in the health and safety of our community.”
Operating at the Basic Life Support (BLS) level, the ambulance will serve several roles. It will support FLFR personnel assigned to special events throughout Fort Lauderdale, providing a visible emergency medical presence at gatherings across the city.
The ambulance will also augment FLFR’s Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) and Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) programs. Through those efforts, FLFR personnel work directly in the community to connect individuals experiencing opioid use disorder, homelessness and behavioral health challenges with treatment, medications and other resources.
As part of its CORE mission, the vehicle can be used to deliver approved medications to individuals experiencing opioid use disorder, facilitate access to medication-assisted treatment and support overdose-prevention efforts. It will also help FLFR replenish publicly accessible Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, distribution boxes throughout Fort Lauderdale.
“As Broward County’s first hospital, Broward Health has always been committed to being there when our community needs us,” said Strum. “Today, we reaffirmed that commitment by strengthening our partnership with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. This ambulance gives us another opportunity to work together to meet people where they are and connect them with the care and resources they need.”
For FLFR, the new ambulance is the latest result of a growing relationship with Broward Health focused on improving patient care both during emergencies and beyond the traditional 911 response.
“Our partnership with Broward Health continues to enhance our ability to bring lifesaving care and resources directly to people when and where they need them,” said Fort Lauderdale Fire Chief Stephen Gollan. “We’ve already seen the impact of that partnership through our Whole Blood Program, and this ambulance gives us another resource to serve the community, whether at a special event or through the work of our Mobile Integrated Health team.”
Earlier this year, Broward Health and FLFR partnered to launch the department’s Whole Blood Program, allowing specially trained paramedics to administer blood to critically ill and injured patients before they reach the hospital. The program has already demonstrated the lifesaving potential of bringing advanced treatment directly to patients in the critical moments before they reach definitive care.
The Whole Blood Program and the new ambulance serve different needs but reflect a common approach shared by FLFR and Broward Health: bringing care and resources directly to people when and where they need them.
Thursday’s ceremony concluded with a traditional fire service push-in. The custom dates back to the era of horse-drawn fire apparatus, when firefighters returning to the station would disconnect the horses and manually push the apparatus back into the firehouse. Fire departments continue the tradition today as a symbolic way of welcoming new apparatus into its home and into service.
About Broward Health
Broward Health, founded in 1938 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ranks among the 10 largest public healthcare systems in the United States. Nationally recognized for its focus on high-quality care for the residents of Broward County and beyond, Broward Health boasts four hospitals, two trauma centers, was the county’s first statutory teaching hospital and has an ever-growing graduate medical education program. It includes more than 50 health centers and physician practices covering virtually every healthcare specialty.
Broward Health never stops working toward its mission of Exceptional Care, Extraordinary Compassion and Everyday Excellence. Driven by more than 11,000 talented employees and physicians who deliver care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, Broward Health is one of the largest employers in Broward County with an operating budget of over $2 billion and annually provides more than $554 million in charity and uncompensated care. For more information about Broward Health, visit BrowardHealth.org.
About Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue
Established in 1912, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue (FLFR) provides fire rescue and emergency management services to the neighbors and visitors of Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, and Lazy Lake. Operating out of 12 stations, the department responds to over 54,000 calls for service annually, making it the busiest department in Broward County. FLFR utilizes highly trained special operations teams, including Hazardous Materials, Technical Rescue, Marine Rescue, SWAT Medics, and Aircraft Rescue Firefighting. It partners with neighboring agencies to provide for closest unit response. The department also provides Ocean Rescue at Fort Lauderdale’s world-renowned beaches.
For more information about Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, visit fortlauderdale.gov/firerescue.
