(MIAMI, July 17, 2014) – With the arrival of the peak of python season in South Florida, national media outlets have directed their attention to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue as the experts in the field of invasive species.  In the July 28, 2014 issue of Time Magazine, a member of the Venom Response Team, Captain Jeff Fobb, was featured as part of the cover story.

The article titled Invasive Species, Coming to a Habitat Near You, highlights the ecological as well as the economic impact that invasive species have on our communities. According to the article, the Burmese python is one of the most damaging invasive species in South Florida.  It is believed that there are as many as 100,000 Burmese pythons roaming freely in the wetlands of South Florida and they are linked directly to the drastic decline in the small mammal population in the Everglades National Park. Captain Fobb takes Time Magazine’s Bryan Walsh deep into the Everglades for a close encounter with the invasive species.  On his days off from the Fire Department, Fobb is a trainer for the Python Patrol, and their goal is to control the growing Burmese python population in Florida.
 
This edition of Time Magazine will hit newsstands tomorrow, July 18; get a sneak preview of tomorrow’s article now.
 
For more information, please contact MDFR’s Public Affairs Bureau at 786-331-5200.