Martin County Fire Rescue

Our Station 23 Special Operations teams spent the week strengthening their response to structural collapse emergencies.

Alongside Palm Beach County Fire Rescue’s Urban Search and Rescue division, we prepared for the worst by sharing knowledge, sharpening skills and improving the teamwork that keeps our communities safe.

TRAINING HIGHLIGHTS:

❌Identified USAR markings, which are symbols rescuers use to show what areas were searched, what hazards were found, and victim locations.

🛠️Built temporary supports inside a damaged structure to prevent collapse. This process is called shoring.

🪓Practiced dirty breaching by quickly breaking through concrete and debris using heavy tools. It’s fast, aggressive and used when time is critical.

🪚Practiced clean breaching, which is a more controlled, precise method of cutting or breaking through materials that’s used when you need to avoid causing additional collapse or harming trapped victims.

🕳️Created inspection holes, or small openings cut into floors and walls to assess structural conditions before making entry.

📸Used search cameras to look into tight spaces or collapsed areas to locate victims without disturbing debris.

We’re grateful for collaborations like this that make every department stronger together.

🔥MCFR FIREFIGHTERS CONTAIN ALMOST 40-ACRE BRUSH FIRE IN INDIANTOWN🔥

Martin County Fire Rescue firefighters quickly extinguished a 37.8-acre brush fire Friday afternoon.

The fire started just before 3:30 p.m. in the 2600th Block of Southwest Warfield Boulevard in Indiantown.

No one was hurt and no structures were in danger. The Florida Forest Service (FFS) was also on scene and helped knock down the flames by setting up plow lines in the area.

The MCFR drone team helped identify hotspots and ensure full containment of the fire before crews cleared the scene.

The exact cause of the fire is unknown. Initial reports indicate that it may have been a holdover fire. That’s when a lightning strike ignites a fire and smolders harmlessly for days before bursting into a visible blaze. FFS will investigate further.