DANIA BEACH (CBS4) – The Dania Beach Fire Department merged with the Broward Sheriff’s Office Friday as its 67 firefighters were sworn-in by Sheriff Al Lamberti at I.T. Parker Community Center.
It was Broward’s first fire department.
The decision to merge the 106-year-old department with BSO was backed by Dania Beach City Commissioners and by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners earlier in the week.
The merger will officially take effect at 8 a.m. on Saturday and is expected to save taxpayers about $871,165 in the first year, according to BSO spokesman Mike Jachles.
Historically the department was recognized in 1977 as one of the first in the country to deliver pre-hospital Advanced Life Support care by using paramedics in the field, according to Jachles.
Dania Beach Fire Department is the seventh municipality in the county to join with BSO Fire Rescue. It joins Cooper City, Lauderdale Lakes, Pembroke Park, Southwest Ranches, West Park and Weston in the venture.
Sheriff Fire Rescue also provides fire-rescue services to Broward County’s Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport and unincorporated areas of the county.
Additionally, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue provides the following regional services: Regional Logistics services, Air Rescue, Hazardous Materials Team, Technical Rescue Team and service to the western Broward I-75 corridor through Everglades Regional Fire Station 106.
The Dania Beach Fire Department had a busy season in 2010, responding to 8,500 calls for service.
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