We protect people, property and the environment by providing
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essential to public health, safety and well-being.
MDFR named 2009 EMS Provider of the Year
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) is Florida's 2009 EMS Provider of the Year. The Florida Department of Health chose MDFR from among several top emergency medical service (EMS) providers in the state. This award honors an EMS provider for taking a leadership role in areas of quality assurance/improvement, patient care, public access, medical control, disaster preparedness, public education and/or training in Florida. MDFR won for currently possessing one of the most comprehensive EMS programs in the nation, which also strongly supports the fulfillment of the Florida EMS Strategic Plan.
MDFR dedicates Station 31 to Firefighter Catherine Wall
MDFR dedicated North Miami Beach Station 31 to Firefighter Catherine Wall on November 6, 2009. This dedication was a testament of Firefighter Wall's significant lifetime contribution to the community and to the thousands of hours she has spent helping those in need. Firefighter Wall is a 25-year department veteran who has been battling leukemia and has had to place her career on hold to undergo numerous medical treatments.
Drivers must move aside for emergency vehicles - it's the law!
Some drivers are unaware of Florida law, which states that drivers and pedestrians must yield the right-of-way to fire-rescue trucks, law enforcement cars, and other emergency vehicles using sirens and/or flashing lights. When being approached by an emergency vehicle using lights and sirens, motorists should immediately pull over to the nearest curb and wait for the emergency vehicle to pass. It also is illegal to follow within 500 feet of a fire truck responding to an emergency.
Four months following a horrific motor-vehicle collision, Rafael Rios reunited with the firefighters at Miami Beach Station 31 who came to his aid. He thanked them for saving his life. The fire-rescuecrews listened to Rafael's remarks of heartfelt appreciation and were happy to know that their actions had contributed to such a positive outcome for him.
MDFR wins 2009 World Emergency Response Championship
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's (MDFR) Advanced Life Support (ALS) Team is the winner of the 2009 Bill Shearer International Advanced Life Support Competition. The championship event was held at the national Clinical Conference, better known as ClinCon, in Orlando, Florida, last week. This victory is a distinguished accomplishment and a living testimony of MDFR's continuous dedication to EMS and public safety.
Notice of Code Changes to Building/Business Owners
A change has occurred in the Code of Miami-Dade County, adding Sections 14-66 and 14-67 which will affect occupancies with existing fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems. The code requires that you obtain a contract for the maintenance of your fire alarm and suppression systems in existing buildings by September 14, 2009.
By law, every MDFR station is a Safe Haven where new parents can bring their newborns to be turned over to state custody. Florida's Safe Haven Act allows distressed parents to turn over their babies up to the age of seven days to fire and EMS stations or hospitals without fear of punishment or prosecution. To date, 139 newborns have been received at "safe havens" in Florida.
MDFR firefighter honored for acts of bravery in Iraq
MDFR Firefighter Ramiro Mayorga was honored on July 4 at the Florida Marlins baseball game at Landshark Stadium. FF Mayorga was recognized for his bravery and actions as a combat unit medic in Iraq. FF Mayorga was honored for his heroic actions while on patrol with the 124th Infantry of the Florida National Guard in July 2003. FF Mayorga's unit came under attack by gunmen and a rocket-propelled grenade on July 5, 2003. Many in the unit were injured including FF Mayorga. He quickly treated himself and then went on to treat Coral Gables Police Officer Jason Recio, who was severly injured in the attack. FF Mayorga's quick thinking helped to save Officer Recio's life.
MDFR and ''BARK Buckle Up'' Unleash Life Saving Program for Pets
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR), Miami-Dade Police (MDPD) and Miami-Dade Animal Services have joined forces with the BARK Buckle Up organization to educate County residents on the importance of restraining their pets in vehicles. BARK Buckle Up is a national organization that has traveled throughout the US and Canada educating and promoting pet safety awareness.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's new officers perform rigorous training in multiple fireground activities such as self-rescue, room orientation, search, thermal imaging and fire-attack hose management These exercises polish skills that the officers will use to train their firefighters on the fireground to stay safe and better serve the community.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's (MDFR) Metro Fire Boat 1 had the honor and privilege of escorting the United States naval warship USS Freedom through Government Cut on Friday, May 29, 2009. Metro Fire Boat 1 performed a water cannon salute as it led the warship into the United States Coast Guard station on Miami Beach. The USS Freedom is a new generation warship designed to fight near shorelines and in confined waterways. The 377-foot Freedom is a prototype that weighs 3,000 tons and carries a crew of 40 sailors. Metro Fire Boat 1 serves over 2 million residents, 84 miles of oceanside coastline, 22 miles of beaches, 67 miles of inland waterways, and 5.5 miles of the Miami River commercial waterway.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue received the first shipment of teddy bears from the Adopt-A-Bear Firefighter Fund on May 27, 2009. These special firefighter bears will ensure that children who are transported by MDFR will have a special friend to comfort them. The Adopt-A-Bear Program was created by local investigative reporter Michele Gillen in an effort to bring comfort to children in traumatic situations such as fires and medical emergencies.
More than 4,000 Americans die each year in fires, and approximately 20,000 are injured. Security bars may help keep your family safe from intruders, but they can also trap you in a deadly fire! Miami-Dade Fire Rescue encourages individuals to use the following tips to help reduce the number of fire injuries and deaths associated with security bars on windows and doors preventing fire escape.
Drowning is the number one cause of death for children in Miami-Dade County. Since it only takes one second for such a tragedy to occur, you should always regard your pool as a potential danger.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs presented MDFR with the 2009 Heart Safe Community Award for the STEMI (Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction) Awareness Program. Criteria included implementation of a program to improve therapies for patients with acute coronary syndrome, its life-threatening complications and initiatives involving STEMI management. MDFR was chosen from among 400 agencies.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue recently completed its Officer Development Program for Lieutenants, graduating 23 individuals who successfully completed 160 hours of training. This comprehensive program included both classroom sessions and more than 80 hours of hands-on simulations. Modules included incident command training, counseling/discipline, leadership, building construction, safety, and drill development.
The Consumers' Research Council of America has named Donald G. Rosenberg, M.D., FACC, as one of "America's Top Cardiologists" for 2008. Dr. Rosenberg is the Medical Director of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR), where he directs all aspects of the department's medical protocols.
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Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) is Florida's 2009 EMS Provider of the Year. The Florida Department of Health chose MDFR from among several top emergency medical service (EMS) providers in the state. This award honors an EMS provider for taking a leadership role in areas of quality assurance/improvement, patient care, public access, medical control, disaster preparedness, public education and/or training in Florida. MDFR won for currently possessing one of the most comprehensive EMS programs in the nation, which also strongly supports the fulfillment of the Florida EMS Strategic Plan.
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MDFR dedicated North Miami Beach Station 31 to Firefighter Catherine Wall on November 6, 2009. This dedication was a testament of Firefighter Wall's significant lifetime contribution to the community and to the thousands of hours she has spent helping those in need. Firefighter Wall is a 25-year department veteran who has been battling leukemia and has had to place her career on hold to undergo numerous medical treatments.
Four months following a horrific motor-vehicle collision, Rafael Rios reunited with the firefighters at Miami Beach Station 31 who came to his aid. He thanked them for saving his life. The fire-rescuecrews listened to Rafael's remarks of heartfelt appreciation and were happy to know that their actions had contributed to such a positive outcome for him.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's (MDFR) Advanced Life Support (ALS) Team is the winner of the 2009 Bill Shearer International Advanced Life Support Competition. The championship event was held at the national Clinical Conference, better known as ClinCon, in Orlando, Florida, last week. This victory is a distinguished accomplishment and a living testimony of MDFR's continuous dedication to EMS and public safety. 
By law, every MDFR station is a Safe Haven where new parents can bring their newborns to be turned over to state custody. Florida's Safe Haven Act allows distressed parents to turn over their babies up to the age of seven days to fire and EMS stations or hospitals without fear of punishment or prosecution. To date, 139 newborns have been received at "safe havens" in Florida.
MDFR Firefighter Ramiro Mayorga was honored on July 4 at the Florida Marlins baseball game at Landshark Stadium. FF Mayorga was recognized for his bravery and actions as a combat unit medic in Iraq. FF Mayorga was honored for his heroic actions while on patrol with the 124th Infantry of the Florida National Guard in July 2003. FF Mayorga's unit came under attack by gunmen and a rocket-propelled grenade on July 5, 2003. Many in the unit were injured including FF Mayorga. He quickly treated himself and then went on to treat Coral Gables Police Officer Jason Recio, who was severly injured in the attack. FF Mayorga's quick thinking helped to save Officer Recio's life.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR), Miami-Dade Police (MDPD) and Miami-Dade Animal Services have joined forces with the BARK Buckle Up organization to educate County residents on the importance of restraining their pets in vehicles. BARK Buckle Up is a national organization that has traveled throughout the US and Canada educating and promoting pet safety awareness.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's new officers perform rigorous training in multiple fireground activities such as self-rescue, room orientation, search, thermal imaging and fire-attack hose management These exercises polish skills that the officers will use to train their firefighters on the fireground to stay safe and better serve the community.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's (MDFR) Metro Fire Boat 1 had the honor and privilege of escorting the United States naval warship USS Freedom through Government Cut on Friday, May 29, 2009. Metro Fire Boat 1 performed a water cannon salute as it led the warship into the United States Coast Guard station on Miami Beach. The USS Freedom is a new generation warship designed to fight near shorelines and in confined waterways. The 377-foot Freedom is a prototype that weighs 3,000 tons and carries a crew of 40 sailors. Metro Fire Boat 1 serves over 2 million residents, 84 miles of oceanside coastline, 22 miles of beaches, 67 miles of inland waterways, and 5.5 miles of the Miami River commercial waterway. 
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue received the first shipment of teddy bears from the Adopt-A-Bear Firefighter Fund on May 27, 2009. These special firefighter bears will ensure that children who are transported by MDFR will have a special friend to comfort them. The Adopt-A-Bear Program was created by local investigative reporter Michele Gillen in an effort to bring comfort to children in traumatic situations such as fires and medical emergencies.
More than 4,000 Americans die each year in fires, and approximately 20,000 are injured. Security bars may help keep your family safe from intruders, but they can also trap you in a deadly fire! Miami-Dade Fire Rescue encourages individuals to use the following tips to help reduce the number of fire injuries and deaths associated with security bars on windows and doors preventing fire escape.
Drowning is the number one cause of death for children in Miami-Dade County. Since it only takes one second for such a tragedy to occur, you should always regard your pool as a potential danger. 
The International Association of Fire Chiefs presented MDFR with the 2009 Heart Safe Community Award for the STEMI (Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction) Awareness Program. Criteria included implementation of a program to improve therapies for patients with acute coronary syndrome, its life-threatening complications and initiatives involving STEMI management. MDFR was chosen from among 400 agencies.
The Consumers' Research Council of America has named Donald G. Rosenberg, M.D., FACC, as one of "America's Top Cardiologists" for 2008. Dr. Rosenberg is the Medical Director of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR), where he directs all aspects of the department's medical protocols.
