Key Largo Fire-EMS considers $300,000 rescue boat purchase, ambulance order delay

Key Largo Fire-EMS weighed a $300,000 trailerable rescue boat while leaders also faced a costly ambulance dilemma that could slow emergency coverage in the Upper Keys. Acting Manager Bill Lombardo said the district would pay upfront and seek reimbursement later through grant funds, a move tied to a June 30 purchase-order deadline and a Sept. 15 ownership requirement to keep the grant path open.

The boat would come with another ongoing cost for taxpayers. Lombardo said insurance for the vessel and personnel was expected to run about $25,000 a year. The district accountant confirmed money was available, but the board would still need to approve a budget amendment before moving ahead.

Chairman Tony Allen asked whether there were any restrictions on how long the district would have to keep the boat. He also pressed on whether the county could allow a station modification if the work stayed below “$50,000 to $100,000,” a question tied to the larger problem of where the district can house new equipment.

That problem is already affecting ambulances. The board discussed canceling its order of two new Horton Emergency Vehicles, which do not fit in the Key Largo Ambulance Corps station bays, even though pulling the order could trigger a $30,000 penalty. Because the county owns the station building, district leaders said they were unsure whether any changes would be approved.

The equipment debate matters because the district is not a single-station operation. Key Largo Fire-EMS runs from three fire stations and contracts with the Key Largo Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. and the Key Largo Volunteer Ambulance Corps to provide fire and medical response across Key Largo and the Upper Keys. The district is a self-governing special fire control district in Monroe County, funded primarily by ad valorem taxes.

The volunteer ambulance corps says it relies on property taxes collected and budgeted by the district, transport billing revenue and community donations. It reports about 40 to 45 personnel. The fire department says it has about 20 full-time career personnel, supplemented by volunteers. The department says it began serving rural Key Largo in 1955, while the ambulance corps says it evolved from the early “Band-Aid Brigade,” was formally named in 1971 and later became the first volunteer EMS service in Florida granted an ALS license.

The boat and ambulance questions come as the district reviews broader service gaps. Lt. Jason Mumper said mutual aid agreements with Ocean Reef Fire Rescue and Miami-Dade departments had not been updated since 2014, leaving some agencies unaware of apparatus available for mutual aid. The district also approved two F-550 Horton rescue vehicles for $361,430 at its April meeting and has discussed a tanker truck estimated at $1.8 million to $2.1 million, while a 2024 request for proposals called for a comprehensive operational analysis and consolidation study of its fire and EMS system.