With hurricane season approaching, Flagler County Fire Rescue and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office have teamed up for a multi-agency swiftwater and flood rescue training series designed to sharpen their ability to respond when floodwaters rise.
What the Training Involves
The course is taught by Flagler County Fire Rescue Technical Rescue Instructors and draws participants from FCFR’s Technical Rescue Team, FCFR Marine Rescue, and FCSO’s Emergency Response Team. The training is structured as three separate three-day classes held throughout May and June — timed specifically to prepare responders before hurricane season peaks.
Skills covered include water hazard safety, shore-based rescue techniques, shallow water rescue, defensive swimming, and rescue boat operations. The series concludes with a full-scale scenario exercise that tests teams under realistic, high-pressure conditions.
For the final exercise, FCFR and FCSO crews worked together on the Intracoastal Waterway to locate simulated missing kayakers. Teams navigated Jon boats through shallow water, around oyster beds, and searched for subjects while working with limited information — conditions designed to mirror the uncertainty of a real emergency.
By the time all three classes are complete, approximately 45 personnel will have gone through the program.
Why It Was Developed
The training series was built in direct response to flooding impacts experienced during recent hurricane seasons. Since then, both agencies have significantly expanded their flood-rescue equipment. FCFR purchased two 14-foot Jon boats, swiftwater personal flotation devices, chest waders, and additional flood-response gear. Both FCFR and FCSO also each received two Jon boats from the Florida Division of Emergency Management at no cost to Flagler County taxpayers.
FCSO brings additional assets to flood response, including an airboat, several high-water vehicles, and a new Jeep Gladiator purchased using seized drug assets.
What the Leaders Said
Sheriff Rick Staly stressed the importance of inter-agency coordination. “This training strengthens our ability to respond quickly and work with our partners when weather conditions are at their worst,” he said. “When severe weather hits, that teamwork can make all the difference in getting help to people who need it as quickly and safely as possible.”
Staly also spoke to the broader principle behind pre-season preparation. “It’s important to train before a rescue response is needed as it is proven the way you train is the way you will respond in an emergency, but you pray you never need to use it,” he added.
Fire Chief Michael Tucker echoed those sentiments. “Emergency response is a very complicated responsibility, and the ability to coordinate training before an event puts FCFR and FCSO on positive footing to deliver the highest possible service to the residents and visitors of Flagler County,” he said.
What Residents Can Do
Officials are also encouraging residents to prepare on their own end before any storm arrives. Flagler County offers a free emergency notification system called ALERTFlagler, which sends alerts to enrolled addresses and allows residents to choose how and when they are contacted. Sign-ups are available at: https://www.flaglercounty.gov/County-Services/Emergency-Management/Emergency-Alerts-ALERTFlagler
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