The Wandering Disciple

Rescue Boat 3 of the Sarasota County Fire Department responds to a boat fire on Sarasota Bay. The crew of Station 3 on St Armand's Circle provides the department with marine operations by staffing the rescue boat. They, along with neighboring fire department marine assets help to protect the Gulf coast of Sarasota County. (Photo: August 11, 2016)

Don't train till you get it right, train till you don't get it wrong.  That's exactly what the Sarasota County Fire Department is doing here during a high angle rescue drill conducted during the construction of the University Town Center Mall in 2013.  In this drill, Truck 1 was positioning towards the building under construction to rescue a victim from the upper level. Drills like these help firefighter's maintain their skills on a wide variety of emergencies. (Photo:  November 6, 2013)

The stars and stripes proudly flies from Truck 1 during the Sarasota County Fire Departments annual open house event in 2012. Truck 1 is the primary ladder truck tasked with responding to emergencies in downtown Sarasota. (Photo: October 6, 2012)

Located in the heart of downtown Sarasota, Station 1 is the busiest station in the Sarasota County Fire Department.  The station is home to Engine 1, Truck 1, Rescue 1, Rescue 20, Battalion 1 and EMS 1.  Station 1 is regularly listed as one of the busiest stations in the country.  (Photo: September 13, 2012)

A fire engine from the Sarasota County Fire Department sits outside Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota.  Be sure to follow my Boots and Badges page for more great public safety photos like this.  (Photo: March 12, 2016)

A special operations technician with the Sarasota County Fire Department demonstrates a high angle rescue at the training facility. Every year in October, the men and women of the SCFD showcase their skills for the public at the annual Fire Prevention Open House. (Photo: October 7, 2006)

The bright red trucks of the Sarasota County Fire Department assemble for training at University Town Center.  (Photo: June 25, 2014)

Firefighters with the Sarasota County Fire Department perform a high level rescue during a training exercise at the University Town Center Mall project. Crew performed a rescue of a victim from the roof during an emergency simulation with the mall's construction staff. (Photo: November 6, 2013)

Firefighters from the Sarasota County Fire Department stretch a line from a fire engine during a training drill at the Sarasota County Operations Center.  Crews simulated a working fire with injuries during mid-day to test the response of the first responders as well as the reaction of the building occupants.  (Photo: October 21, 2013)

Engine 12 of the Sarasota County Fire Department sits outside Sarasota Technical Center. The SCFD provides fire and emergency medical service to Sarasota County, Florida out of 27 stations. (Photo: August 15, 2013)

The Sarasota County Fire Department demonstrate a vehicle extrication during their annual Fire Prevention Open House. The SCFD provides fire and EMS protections for the citizens of Sarasota County. Their services range from fire operations, EMS operations, hazmat-technical rescue, fire prevention, emergency management and beach patrol. (Photo: October 6, 2012)

Sarasota, Florida: The Sarasota County Fire Department hosted their annual open house today at Station 5 in Sarasota. The event kicks off Fire Prevention Week and allows the men and women of the Sarasota County Fire Department to showcase their skills in front of the public in a fun-filled environment. The theme of this year’s event was “Have 2 Ways Out”. The event featured demos provided by the Sarasota County Fire Department as the demonstrated high-angle rescue, vehicle extrication, hazmat response and LP fire suppression. There were also displays from Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport Fire-Rescue, Sarasota County Emergency Management, Florida Division of Forestry, Bayflite, Sarasota Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol and many more organizations. New to the show this year was a side by side demonstration by Wayne Automatic Sprinklers that showed the importance of fire sprinklers in buildings. In the demo, two identical rooms...

President Barack Obama ordered flags to fly at half-staff today in honor of the National Firefighters Memorial. 72 names were added to the memorial today in honor of the brave men and women who were killed in the line of duty in 2010. They join the over 3,400 firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice and are forever remember in the memorial. The memorial was dedicated in 1990 and is located at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The memorial ceremony occurs annually to close our National Fire Prevention week in early October. Pictured above are some of Sarasota's bravest performing a training demo during the Sarasota County Fire Prevention Open House that occurs during the same week. (Photo: October 6, 2007)

Sarasota, Florida: The men and women of the Sarasota County Fire Department invited the public to join them in honoring National Fire Prevention Week by hosting their annual Open House at Fire Station 5 in Sarasota. The annual event highlights the diverse services provided by the Sarasota County Fire Department. Over the course of the afternoon, the fire department put on a great show of skills as firefighter performed technical rescues, fire suppression activities, vehicle extrication, fire extinguisher demos and more in front of the crowd that gathered for the event. The apparatus were on display included fire engines, rescues, hazmat truck, Bayflite medical helicopter, Airport fire truck, law enforcement patrol cars and more. There was even a fire department and SWAT team obstacle course for the kids. In addition to the host department, the event included displays from various public safety agencies including Englewood Fire Department, Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department, Sarasot...

Sarasota, Florida: The sun wasn’t the only thing shining on Saturday afternoon, the skills of the men and women of the Sarasota County Fire Department shined during the department’s annual open house. Thousands of visitors flocked to Station 5 to witness the firefighters showcase their skills during the event. The theme of this year’s event was “ Smoke Alarms, a sound you can live with” and stressed the importance of working smoke detectors in your home. Ensuring that there is a working smoke detector in your home is one of the most important thing you can do to help keep your family safe in the event of a fire. During events throughout the day, the firefighters showed how they use their training to handle a hazardous materials fire, perform a technical rescue, extricate a victim from a vehicle and demonstrate how to safely use a fire extinguisher. The apparatus and equipment was also on display so the visitors could get an up close look at the tools that help keep them safe. The...