MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — Service calls in Madeira Beach are up, and the fire department said the demand makes safety even more important. That safety isn't just for citizens, it's also for the firefighters.
It doesn't matter if it's on land or water — Madeira Beach Fire Chief Clint Belk said firefighters will respond to the call. He said mutual aid is important to have in coastal communities.
“Whenever there is a call for service within our local area, we definitely respond. We've responded as far as the skyway too,” Belk said.
The fire department's annual report shows calls increased from 2022 to 2023. Madeira Beach firefighters responded to around 2,000 calls. More than 340 were in Redington communities, where the City of Madeira Beach provides fire response services.
By next year, a lot space in North Redington Beach will become a new emergency service building. The fire chief said two Madeira Beach firefighters, and a rescue unit, will be stationed there to help with response times.
“Instead of them having to wait for Madeira Beach to come from the south and head north, or the next closest unit from the north heading south — now they're going to have their own station right there,” Chief Belk said.
The demand for safety isn't just increasing for communities, but also firefighters.
Todd Ermscher served as a Madeira Beach firefighter for 36 years. Before retiring in 2020, he learned he had thyroid cancer.
“Over the history, firefighters get cancer all the time, and one of the things that we've been trying to do is learn more about how they're getting cancer and what to do to prevent it,” Ermscher said.
One of their cancer initiatives was to invest in a sauna.
“It detoxifies all the chemicals on your body. And that's the main thing, you sweat it all out your pores,” Ermscher said.
Ermscher and his team — the "C shift" — built the sauna from a kit by hand. He's proud to say he is cancer free and looking forward to what this room will mean to those serving now.
Chief Belk said recent annual physicals shows their team is in good shape.
“Ever since then — when the sauna came into play — I don't know if there's any correlation between it, but now no one is having any diagnosis,” Belk said.
It makes them that much stronger to protect themselves as much as they protect their community.
“Goal number one is to make sure these guys are safe, healthy and they go home to their families everyday,” Chief Belk said.
The emergency services building which will house Madeira Beach fire services is still in the early stages. Right now, the department is reviewing proposals from construction management firms.