The Sanibel Fire Rescue District Open House centered around the “Touch-A-Truck” concept. The event brought together a range of trucks the community might see during the day but never really understand the reason for their size or configuration. The brainchild of this event was Lieutenant John Dimaria, who brought the idea to Chief Matt Scott and was given to go-ahead. The event brought trucks from The City of Sanibel Public Works, Lee County Electric Cooperative, Sanibel Police, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

An event is held annually to open the firehouse to the public to show that our firefighters are part of the community and enjoy what they do and take pride in providing a multitude of services on a daily basis. Not only do the kids enjoy getting to “drive” the fire truck, the parents and other adults learn more about what it is to be a modern firefighter. A firefighter on Sanibel must be able to multi-task on every emergency call, whether it be a fire in a house, a car accident or a medical emergency. All our firefighters are cross-trained to be either an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or Paramedic. All our first-out fire engines are equipped to provide the same multitude of tasks as well. All in all it was a great day and everyone seemed to enjoy the interaction with the community.