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82-688: Palm Beach County Fire Rescue was created on October 1, 1984, when the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution consolidating the existing fire districts in Palm Beach County . Prior to 1984, the following fire districts were in existence, covering the mostly unincorporated Palm Beach County: Named after the department's first fire chief, the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Administration and Training Complex

164-431: A per capita personal income of $ 44,518. It leads the state in agricultural productivity; agriculture is Palm Beach County's second-largest industry, after real estate development. In undeveloped (central and western) Palm Beach County there is significant tropical agricultural production, especially nurseries , truck crops (vegetables), and sugar cane . Palm Beach County has been called the "Winter Vegetable Capital" of

246-436: A 10-acre lake for drafting training, and a field of various full-scale liquefied petroleum (LP) gas props. The department is made up of 8 battalions, which contain anywhere from three to nine fire stations: Each battalion is managed by a district chief, who oversees all three shifts in their respective battalion. At the shift level, each battalion is supervised by a battalion chief and an EMS Captain. The department operates

328-412: A braking device on the rope. They are used for lowering a load, a subject or oneself (rappelling). Pulleys can serve as a mechanical advantage, along with rope grabs, and other tools, to raise, or haul, a load up a vertical section, or across a gully or canyon. Pulleys systems are used in conjunction with the rope, rope grabbing devices, i.e.: Prusiks, or mechanical grabs, to capture the progress made during

410-596: A category-2 hurricane. With wind gusts in Palm Beach County peaking at 91 mph (146 km/h), the storm inflicted structural damage on about 15,000 houses and 2,400 businesses. Six deaths occurred in the county. Jeanne struck near the same location as a category-3 hurricane on September 26, 2004. The storm also brought strong winds, with an official wind gust of 94 mph (151 km/h). About 4,160 homes were damaged and 60 were destroyed. Jeanne left about $ 260 million in damage in

492-468: A deliberate grounding so as to obtain an insurance payout has been proposed. The coconuts were salvaged, too many to be eaten, and thousands were planted. A lush grove of palm trees soon grew on what was later named Palm Beach. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 2,383 square miles (6,170 km ), of which 1,970 square miles (5,100 km ) are land and 413 square miles (1,070 km ) (17.3%) are covered by water. It

574-482: A length of chain, cable, rope, or webbing wrapped around a pillar, tree, boulder, or such. They provide the security and a point from which a person or subject (the word victim has dropped, and changed to subject , due to the negative implications of the term victim ) can be belayed. Belaying is the act of protecting the climber, rescue professional, or subject in the event of a fall. Various other devices used, including friction rappel (lowering) devices, which acts as

656-594: A minimum in Rope Rescue operations and Aerial operations. Personnel assigned full-time to station 57 (Boca Raton) and station 73 (Belle Glade) are also certified Rescue Divers . Aside from Special Operations , these are the only 2 stations in the department with regional Dive Rescue teams. The PBCFR is responsible for providing aircraft rescue and firefighting for the Palm Beach International Airport , formerly but no longer one of

738-631: A month later, the Florida East Coast Railway , owned by Flagler, reached West Palm Beach. On November 5, 1894, Palm Beach County's oldest city, West Palm Beach, was incorporated. In 1896, another hotel built by Flagler was opened, the Palm Beach Inn, later renamed The Breakers . He also constructed his own winter home , which he and his wife moved into in 1902. The arrivals of Major Nathan Boynton , Congressman William S. Linton , and railroad surveyor Thomas Rickards in

820-610: A number of situations, include confined space rescue, 29 CFR 1910.146 and 29 CFR 1910.147 . In most cases, wilderness rope rescue is not specifically covered by such mandates (except in the case where the wilderness rescue is carried out by governmental organizations). Rescue should not be attempted by individuals who have not been formally trained. Local rescue authorities, fire departments, sheriff departments, etc. may be able to provide information on rope rescue training, practice, and equipment, and organizations who are actively looking for members. Courses exist that provide training towards

902-577: A pre- Great Depression peak of $ 89 million in 1929. The city's population quadrupled between 1920 and 1927. Early on September 17, 1928, the Okeechobee hurricane made landfall near West Palm Beach as a category-4 storm and crossed Lake Okeechobee shortly thereafter. While the hurricane caused catastrophic impact in eastern portions of the county, the Lake Okeechobee region suffered a much heavier loss of life. Wind-driven storm surge in

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984-456: A rescue professional over the edge or suspending them from the rope and safety equipment. An example of one such technique is the clip, snip, and lower/raise technique. It is often used for fall recovery and rescue. This technique involves using a specialty extension stick or pole to attach a rope to the subject. Once the rope is securely attached to the subject, they are either raised (hauled) up or lowered down to waiting emergency personnel. In

1066-519: A rule, urban or industrial rope rescue involves heavier equipment, which is chosen due to the close proximity to cities. Also due to this fact long approaches and lengthy extractions are not required. Wilderness and cave rescue generally involve a long approach to the rescue site, thus lighter weight equipment is desirable, and often required, so it can be carried/transported these great distances, or through tight passages, etc.. Due to this fact they usually involve extended rescue times as well. Although there

1148-459: A secret blast shelter was built on Peanut Island during his presidency because escalating Cold War tensions. Hurricane David struck near West Palm Beach late on September 3, 1979, with sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h). The storm's winds shattered windows in stores near the coast and caused property damage. A few roofs were torn off, and numerous buildings were flooded from over 6 in (150 mm) of rainfall. Damage in

1230-680: A significant number of aerospace facilities in the county, operated by United Technologies , Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne , Sikorsky Aircraft , General Dynamics , Lockheed Martin , and B/E Aerospace . Many of these companies rank among the top 100 employers for the county. The largest employer in Palm Beach County is the School District of Palm Beach County , with 27,168 employees, including more than 12,800 teachers. Previously W. R. Grace and Company had its headquarters in unincorporated Palm Beach County, near Boca Raton , employing about 130 staff. On January 27, 2011, it announced it

1312-663: A staff of over 40 communications personnel, trainers, and dispatch supervisors, a Fire Operations Officer (FOO) is assigned to the Alarm Office at all times. The purpose of the FOO is to provide technical assistance to dispatch during multi-company operations. The department also provides dispatch services for 13 municipalities: Atlantis, Delray Beach, Greenacres, Gulf Stream, Highland Beach, Jupiter Inlet Colony, Mangonia Park, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach Shores, Riviera Beach, Tequesta and West Palm Beach. Working under

1394-417: Is 325 firefighters. Apparatus Types: The department has two Special Operations apparatus located at stations 19 and 34. These multipurpose units function as Heavy Rescues , Hazmat units , and Mobile Command Centers on extended operations. Members of Special Operations are responsible for Hazardous Materials (Hazmat), Dive Rescue , Confined Space Rescue , and High Angle Rescue response, and they assist

1476-425: Is a 40-acre complex that houses Fire-Rescue's administrative offices, training areas, and an apparatus and support building. Both RNs and BSNs exist. The complex, located at 405 Pike Road, includes multiple classrooms and conference rooms, a 6-story training tower, a 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 -story Class A burn building, an emergency vehicle driving course, an extrication training area, Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) props,

1558-559: Is a county in the southeastern part of Florida , located in the Miami metropolitan area . It is Florida's third-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and Broward County and the 26th-most populous in the United States , with 1,492,191 residents as of the 2020 census . Its county seat and largest city is West Palm Beach , which had a population of 117,415 as of 2020. Named after one of its oldest settlements, Palm Beach ,

1640-513: Is a subset of technical rescue that involves the use of rope, be it steel or cable rope, or more commonly used nylon, polyester, or other type of rope. Kernmantle (kern = core and mantle = sheath) rope as it is called, is available in various types: dynamic (stretches to absorb the shock of a falling lead climber or rescue professional) or static (actually low stretch) which is most commonly used in rescue and industrial rope work. Anchoring includes using specialty anchors, as well as things as simple as

1722-547: Is composed of roughly 4,200 employees, including approximately 1,600 sworn law enforcement personnel, 700 sworn corrections personnel, 1,900 civilian personnel and 1,800 volunteers. The annual operating budget for the PBSO is more than $ 800 million, as of 2023. Ric Bradshaw has been sheriff for Palm Beach County since 2005. There are two jail facilities operated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. One

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1804-616: Is in Belle Glade, called the West Detention Center, which houses all custody levels from minimum to maximum security. At any one time it can contain up to 991 inmates (total bed capacity), with a staff of 188. The facility has a video visitation program which allows families to communicate with inmates remotely. The largest jail is the Main Detention Center. Three towers - South, East, and West, make up

1886-598: Is not native to Florida (nor anywhere else in the United States). Its presence in what is today Palm Beach County is due to the shipwreck of the Spanish ship Providencia in 1878, near today's Mar-a-Lago . It was traveling from Havana to Cádiz, Spain with a cargo of coconuts. The shipwreck was within walking distance of the shore—the Florida State Archives conserves a picture of a painting —and

1968-477: Is responsible for the training and education of Recruit Firefighters, existing Firefighters, and support personnel. Areas of training include: In the 1980s, Palm Beach County became the second in the nation to implement an enhanced 911 phone system, which provides critical information regarding the location of the caller to the 911 operator. The dispatch center, known as the Alarm Office, processes all incoming calls and operates multiple radio channels. In addition to

2050-446: Is significant overlap in techniques and concepts, the two skill sets are often quite different and may not be interchangeable. What works in an urban environment may be cumbersome, clumsy, or ineffective in a wilderness or natural cave environment, or vice versa. The key to any type of rescue is understanding and identifying the principles which are involved. Once the principles are identified, appropriate techniques or methods, which fits

2132-457: Is staffed with a pilot, a registered nurse (RN) and a paramedic . The nurses and paramedics are Palm Beach County Fire Rescue employees, while the pilots are Health Care District employees. In 2023, the first of two Leonardo AW169 helicopters was delivered, intended to replace the existing S-76C's, which will remain in service throughout the transition as flight teams and mechanics undergo specialized training. The Training & Safety Division

2214-525: Is the second-largest county in Florida by land area and third-largest by total area. Much of the water is the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Okeechobee . The county has an estimated 526,000 acres (213,000 ha) of farmland. The eastern third of Palm Beach County is highly urbanized, while the central and western portions of the county are suburban or rural. Palm Beach County is one of three counties in

2296-470: The 21st district , Lois Frankel of the 22nd district , and Jared Moskowitz of the 23rd district . Nine districts of the Florida House of Representatives represent parts of Palm Beach County, with the seats held by Kelly Skidmore (D) of 81st district, John Snyder (R) of the 82nd district, Rick Roth (R) of the 85th district, Matt Willhite (D) of the 86th district, David Silvers (D) of

2378-578: The Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Palm Beach County 's annual financial report, Checks & Balances: Your Guide to County Finances. The County collected $ 1.1 billion in property tax revenue in FY 2018, an increase of 6 percent over the previous year. Sales tax collections rose to $ 175.8 million, marking the eighth consecutive year of growth. Revenue from Tourist Development Tax receipts

2460-532: The Florida East Coast Railway and built the Royal Poinciana Hotel , The Breakers , and Whitehall . In 1928, the Okeechobee hurricane struck Palm Beach County and caused thousands of deaths. More recently, the county acquired national attention during the 2000 presidential election , when a controversial recount occurred . In 2004, Palm Beach County was Florida's wealthiest county, with

2542-864: The Jupiter Hammerheads , an affiliate of the Miami Marlins, and the Palm Beach Cardinals , an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Prior to the construction of Roger Dean Stadium, the Montreal Expos and Atlanta Braves held their spring training at Municipal Stadium in West Palm Beach. The West Palm Beach Expos , a Single-A affiliate of the Montreal Expos, also played their games there. The Ballpark of

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2624-466: The Miami metropolitan area . However, the county's western communities along Lake Okeechobee, such as Belle Glade , South Bay , and Pahokee , have also been considered more part of the rural Florida Heartland . The Atlantic coastline of Palm Beach County is about 47 mi (76 km) in length. It consists mainly of barrier islands and peninsulas, including Jupiter Island , Singer Island , and Palm Beach Island . These islands are separated from

2706-481: The National Register of Historic Places in Palm Beach County were designed and constructed during the 1920s, with the main contributors being architects Maurice Fatio , Addison Mizner , Marion Sims Wyeth , and the firm Harvey and Clarke , which included Gustav Maass . Total property value in West Palm Beach skyrocketed from $ 13.6 million in 1920 to $ 61 million in 1925, before briefly reaching

2788-569: The New River . The crew survived the wreck but nearly died due to starvation because of the desolation of the area. In response, five Houses of Refuge were built along the east coast of Florida from the Fort Pierce Inlet southward to Biscayne Bay. Orange Grove House of Refuge No. 3 was built near Delray Beach in 1876. Very few people lived in modern-day Palm Beach County prior to the arrival of Henry Flagler , who first visited in

2870-870: The Palm Beach Outlets , CityPlace , Boynton Beach Mall , The Gardens Mall , Town Center at Boca Raton , The Mall at Wellington Green and Mizner Park . Formerly, the Palm Beach and Cross County Malls operated in the county, though they closed in 1997 and 2010, respectively. The Florida Department of Corrections operates the Glades Correctional Institution in an unincorporated area in Palm Beach County near Belle Glade. Palm Beach County's revenue from property taxes, sales taxes and tourist development taxes reached record levels in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, according to

2952-851: The Second Seminole War occurred in Palm Beach County, including the Battles of the Loxahatchee in 1838. The county's oldest surviving structure, the Jupiter Lighthouse , was built in 1860, after receiving authorization to the land from President Franklin Pierce in 1854. During the American Civil War , Florida was a member of the Confederate States of America . Two Confederate adherents removed

3034-701: The Sheriff's Office's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team. Many members are also trained in Trench Rescue , Structural Collapse Rescue , and Vehicle Machinery Rescue (VMR) . Each Special Operations station houses a Squad , a Rescue , and a Heavy Rescue . Station 34, which is the headquarters for Battalion 9, also houses the Special Operations Battalion Chief, the Special Operations EMS Captain, and

3116-409: The 1890s also proved important because they developed communities that later became Boynton Beach , Delray Beach, and Boca Raton , respectively. The Florida Legislature voted to establish Palm Beach County in 1909, carving it out of what was then the northern portion of Dade County and initially including all of Lake Okeechobee . The southernmost part of Palm Beach County was separated to create

3198-493: The 2013–14 season. USL Palm Beach is an upcoming American professional soccer team based in Palm Beach County. Founded in 2023, the team plans to make its debut in the USL Championship . The Palm Beach Imperials are an American Basketball Association 2006 expansion franchise. Tourists can visit these attractions and annual events: A number of shopping malls exist throughout Palm Beach County, including

3280-463: The 25 electoral votes to Bush, as Harris's tally prior to the state-ordered recounts placed him ahead of Gore by 537 popular votes. In turn, this gave Bush victory in the national election. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, a Federal Bureau of Investigation investigation revealed that 12 of the 19 hijackers trained or resided in Palm Beach County during the months prior to

3362-405: The 31st district. As of 2023, the county has a slight Democratic plurality, with large Republican and independent minorities, respectively. In gubernatorial races, the county had been a stronghold for Democrats, a trend that began in 1990 and continued up until 2022 , when incumbent Republican governor Ron DeSantis won a majority of the vote in the county. Rope rescue Rope rescue

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3444-719: The 50 busiest airports in the United States . The station , which is located near the center of the airport grounds, is home to 13 pieces of specialized firefighting equipment. These apparatuses include: The Palm Beach County Fire Rescue partners with the Palm Beach County Health Care District to operate the Trauma Hawk Aero-Medical Program . The Trauma Hawk program, established in November 1990, replaced

3526-485: The 87th district, Omari Hardy (D) of the 88th district, Mike Caruso (R) of the 89th district, Joseph Casello (D) of the 90th district, and Emily Slosberg (D) of the 91st district. Additionally, the county has four seats in the Florida Senate , which are represented by Gayle Harrell (R) of the 25th district, Tina Polsky (D) of the 29th district, Bobby Powell (D) of the 30th district, and Lori Berman of

3608-417: The Florida judicial district include the state attorney and public defender . All positions are 4-year terms, requiring direct election by voters in presidential election years. Five former county commissioners have been accused or found guilty of corruption from 2006 to 2009. A grand jury recommended a strong inspector general . This position was approved by county voters in 2010. A county judge found that

3690-516: The Heavy Rescue Equipment vehicle, TRT 34. All Ladder and Truck companies are Quints that incorporate ladder capabilities along with pumper functions. These aerials carry Rope Rescue equipment, a large complement of saws, vehicle stabilization equipment, air lift bags, and assorted pneumatic and electrical tools that are not carried by Engine companies. All personnel assigned full-time to aerial stations are certified at

3772-613: The Jupiter Inlet. Among the first non-Native American residents were African Americans , many of whom were former slaves or immediate descendants of former slaves, arriving in what was then Spanish Florida in the late 17th century. Finding refuge among the Seminoles , the former slaves or descendants of former slaves fought alongside them against white settlers and bounty hunters during the Seminole Wars . Portions of

3854-542: The Office of the Fire Marshal, the fire/arson investigators are responsible for investigating the cause & origin of fire/explosion scenes, preserving scenes, and collecting evidence. The investigators respond to all areas that are serviced by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, in addition to those areas serviced by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. The investigators are sworn law enforcement officers, which gives them

3936-862: The Palm Beaches , opened in February 2017 in West Palm Beach, accommodates both the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros for spring training. Also popular are the Florida Atlantic Owls , an NCAA Division I school that participates in American Athletic Conference . The FAU football team plays at FAU Stadium , and averaged 17,941 fans during the 2017 season. The FAU basketball team plays at FAU Arena , and averaged 1,346 fans during

4018-452: The United States, urban/structural rope rescue performed by professional rescue agencies such as EMS , fire departments and volunteer groups, such as Sheriff Department rescue teams, etc., have organizations such as National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 1670, ANSI, and others, along with governmental agencies like OSHA, NIOSH, MSAH, etc. help provide guidelines, suggestions, and regulations. The Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) addresses

4100-810: The ability to make arrests, carry firearms, and present cases to the State Attorney's office for prosecution of any bomb/fire/arson crimes. Many are former EOD enlisted from the Navy and Marine Corps. Investigators are also members of the Palm Beach County Bomb/Arson Task Force and are all professionally qualified to provide expert witness testimony in both criminal and civil cases. Rescue 223 Rescue 241 Rescue 245 Rescue 273 26°42′N 80°3′W  /  26.700°N 80.050°W  / 26.700; -80.050 Palm Beach County, Florida Palm Beach County

4182-666: The aforementioned "butterfly ballot" and the closeness of the statewide results between Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush , the Florida Supreme Court mandated manual recounts in all counties with disputed results. However, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the decision in Bush v. Gore on December 12, allowing Florida Secretary of the State Katherine Harris to award

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4264-405: The area for work, vacation, or retirement. The base was closed and became a commercial airport again in 1962. Migration to the county by workers, tourists, and retirees continued into the 21st century. On August 28, 1949, a category-4 hurricane struck Lake Worth Beach with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h), causing considerable damage. Throughout Palm Beach County,

4346-676: The attacks. Later that month, during the anthrax attacks , a letter containing spores of this substance was mailed to the American Media, Inc. building in Boca Raton. Three people were exposed to the anthrax, including Robert Stevens , a photo editor who later died after an infection induced by exposure. Three hurricanes severely impacted Palm Beach County in 2004 and 2005: Frances , Jeanne , and Wilma . On September 5, 2004, Frances made landfall in Martin County as

4428-598: The center. The largest is the South Tower, constructed in 1993 from concrete and steel at a cost of $ 52 million. The East and West Towers were built in 1983; they now flank the South Tower, completing the Main Detention Center. The Main Detention Center's primary function is to hold high risk inmates, federal inmates, and those inmates who are in need of special medical attention or are otherwise unable to operate at other facilities. The total number of beds at

4510-429: The circumstances, can be determined and applied. More recently, noncommittal vertical rescue techniques have been introduced. These skills make it possible to rescue a subject from a vertical environment without exposing the rescue professional (volunteer or paid) to the danger or risk of the vertical environment. These techniques involve skills used to rescue an individual(s) from their precarious situation, without sending

4592-479: The commissioners is elected County Mayor and one of them is elected Vice Mayor. Commissioners serve staggered terms, and commissioners from Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7 are elected during presidential election years, while the commissioners from Districts 2, 4, and 6 are elected in gubernatorial election years. Elected county officers include a clerk of courts and comptroller, sheriff , property appraiser, tax collector , and supervisor of elections. State officers serving

4674-410: The county reached $ 30 million, most of which was incurred to agriculture. The county became the center of controversy during the 2000 presidential election . Allegedly, the "butterfly ballot" , designed by Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore , led to an unexpectedly large number of votes for Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan , rather than for Democrat Al Gore . Due to

4756-620: The county was $ 33,610. About 8.6% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those aged 65 or over. The St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins conduct their spring training at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter . Two teams in the Class A-Advanced Florida State League also play their home games at Roger Dean Stadium:

4838-435: The county was established in 1909, after being split from Miami-Dade County. The county's modern-day boundaries were established in 1963. Palm Beach County is one of the three counties that make up the Miami metropolitan area , which was home to 6.14 million people in 2020. The area has been increasing in population since the late 19th century, with the incorporation of West Palm Beach in 1894 and after Henry Flagler extended

4920-595: The county. On October 24, 2005, Hurricane Wilma struck Collier County as a category-3 hurricane. The storm moved northeastward, directly crossing Palm Beach County. Several locations reported hurricane-force winds, including a wind gust of 117 mph (188 km/h) in Belle Glade. Over 90% of Florida Power & Light customers lost electricity. Two deaths occurred in Palm Beach County. The storm inflicted some degree of impact to more than 55,000 homes and 3,600 businesses. Palm Beach County suffered about $ 2.9 billion in damages. In August 2012,

5002-415: The decade also brought an airport to the county. Morrison Field, later renamed the Palm Beach International Airport , opened in 1936. After the U.S. entered World War II , it was converted to an Air Force Base in 1942. During the war, thousands of servicemen arrived in Palm Beach County for training and supporting the war effort. Following the conclusion of World War II, a number of veterans returned to

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5084-484: The early 1890s. A Standard Oil tycoon, Flagler was instrumental in the county's development around the turn of the century. First, he purchased land on both sides of Lake Worth . Other investors followed suit, causing a small boom and bringing in existing businesses and resulting in the establishment of many new businesses. The Royal Poinciana Hotel , constructed by Flagler and his constructed crews to accommodate wealthy tourists, opened for business in February 1894. About

5166-604: The facility is 2,166. The South Tower can hold 1,285 inmates, the East Tower has 418 beds, and the West Tower has 404 beds. Since the founding of Palm Beach County in 1909, 16 people have served as county sheriff. In the United States House of Representatives , Palm Beach County is represented by three Democrats and one Republican: Sheila Cherfillus-McCormick of the 20th district , Brian Mast of

5248-616: The family vacationed in Palm Beach in December ;1960. On December 11, Pavlick forwent his attempt because Kennedy was with his wife, Jacqueline , and their two children. Four days later, Pavlick's car, which had sticks of dynamite inside, was surrounded by police and he was arrested. Charges against Pavolick were dropped on December 2, 1963, 10 days after Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas . Additionally,

5330-895: The following pieces of apparatus: The department is responsible for 1,813 square miles (4,700 km), providing services to almost 900,000 residents throughout the county. Along with the unincorporated areas of the county, PBCFR provides services for Belle Glade , Cloud Lake , Glen Ridge , Haverhill , Juno Beach , Jupiter , Lake Clarke Shores , Lake Park , Lake Worth Beach , Lantana , Loxahatchee Groves , Manalapan , Pahokee , Palm Springs , Royal Palm Beach , South Bay , South Palm Beach , Wellington and Westlake . All line personnel are either dual-certified Firefighter / EMT's or Firefighter / Paramedics . All Engine Companies, Squad Companies, Truck Companies, Ladder Companies, and Rescue Companies are Advanced Life Support (ALS) units, which means that they are staffed daily with paramedics . The department's daily minimum staffing requirement

5412-547: The following qualifications: emergency medical responder (first responder, EMT , paramedic), heavy rescue technician, rope rescue technician, trench rescue technician, confined space rescue technician, hazardous materials technician, and swiftwater rescue technician. NFPA (a private organization) suggestions 1006 and 1670 (a non mandatory set of guidelines, which can be adopted by various agencies and implemented as regulation) say that all "rescuers" must have medical training to perform any technical rescue operation, including cutting

5494-670: The former dug in the 1890s and the latter created between 1926 and 1927. Several other islands exist within the Intracoastal Waterway, including Hypoluxo Island, Munyon Island , and Peanut Island . In addition, the county has an abundance of coral reef patches along its coastline and has made efforts to preserve them. Companies headquartered in Palm Beach County include Office Depot , The ADT Corporation , TBC Corporation , G4S Secure Solutions , NextEra Energy , The GEO Group , American Sugar Refining , Carrier , Globalsat Group , and Bluegreen Vacations . There are

5576-476: The hurricane destroyed 65 homes and damaged 13,283 others. The area's first television station, WIRK -TV Channel 21, began broadcasting on September 13, 1953. It went off the air less than three years later. However, NBC affiliate WPTV-TV and CBS affiliate WPEC first aired in 1954 and 1955, respectively – both of which are still in existence today. Richard Paul Pavlick nearly attempted to assassinate then President-elect John F. Kennedy while

5658-662: The lake inundated hundreds of square miles, including the nearby communities of Belle Glade , Pahokee , and South Bay . At least 2,500 deaths occurred, many of whom were black migrant farmers. An assessment of impact throughout the county reported 552 businesses destroyed, 1,447 businesses damaged, 3,584 homes destroyed, and 11,409 homes damaged, leaving 4,008 families homeless. However, several cities were excluded, such as Boca Raton, Greenacres , Lantana , and South Palm Beach . Damage in South Florida totaled roughly $ 25 million. In response to

5740-465: The lake more equitably among Glades , Hendry , Martin, and Okeechobee counties. A final change to the county's boundaries occurred in 2009, when a small portion of land was given to Broward County. The 1910s and much of the 1920s brought prosperity and rapid population growth to South Florida, coinciding with the Florida land boom of the 1920s . Many local historic districts and landmarks listed in

5822-513: The lift. Since pulley systems are generally short in length, they are used in conjunction with a progress (raise) capturing technique, and a long rope; and a backup safety or belay. This specialized equipment is used to reach the subject(s) and safely recover them. These techniques are subdivided, and are sometimes the techniques and equipment are modified to better suit the specialty area. The subdivisions are: high angle urban/structural/mine rescue, wilderness/river/mountain rescue, and cave rescue. As

5904-617: The lighting mechanism from the lighthouse. One of the men who removed the light, Augustus O. Lang, was also the first white settler in Palm Beach County. He built a palmetto shack along the eastern shore of Lake Worth in 1863 after abandoning the cause of the Confederacy. After the Civil War ended, the Jupiter Lighthouse was relit in 1866. In October 1873, a hurricane caused a shipwreck between Biscayne Bay and

5986-957: The mainland by the Intracoastal Waterway , with much of the waterway locally known as the Lake Worth Lagoon . The main barrier landmasses are split by four inlets: the Jupiter Inlet , the Lake Worth Inlet , the South Lake Worth Inlet , and the Boca Raton Inlet. Two of the four inlets are natural, but significantly altered – the Jupiter and Boca Raton inlets – while the Lake Worth and South Lake Worth inlets are man-made, with

6068-417: The mandate covered municipal government in 2015. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office ( PBSO ) provides police services to the county's unincorporated areas and the 13 municipalities covered by PBSO. PBSO also oversees the county jail system, provides security at all four of the county courthouses, and is the primary law enforcement agency covering Palm Beach International Airport . The Sheriff's Office

6150-407: The nation. Around 12,000 years ago, Native Americans began migrating into Florida. An estimated 20,000 Native Americans lived in South Florida when the Spanish arrived. Their population diminished significantly by the 18th century, due to warfare, enslavement, and diseases from Europe. In 1513, Juan Ponce de León became the first European in modern-day Palm Beach County when he landed at

6232-524: The northern portion of Broward County in 1915, the northwestern portion became part of Okeechobee County in 1917, and southern Martin County was created from northernmost Palm Beach County in 1925. The boundaries remained the same until 1963, when the Florida Legislature reduced Palm Beach County's share of Lake Okeechobee from about 80 percent to less than 40 percent and divided

6314-567: The outer bands of Hurricane Isaac dropped at least 15.86 in (403 mm) of rain near Lion Country Safari . The consequent flooding left neighborhoods in The Acreage , Loxahatchee , Loxahatchee Groves , Royal Palm Beach , and Wellington stranded for up to several days. As Hurricane Irma approached in September 2017, mandatory or voluntary evacuations were ordered for more than 290,000 residents of Palm Beach County. Although

6396-438: The storm passed well west of the county, much of the area experienced hurricane-force wind gusts, with a peak gust of 91 mph (146 km/h) in West Palm Beach. Impact was generally limited to widespread power outages and damaged trees and vegetation, though isolated property damage was reported. The storm left about $ 300 million in damage in the county, as well as five fatalities. The coconut palm , Cocos nucifera ,

6478-723: The storm, the Herbert Hoover Dike was constructed to prevent a similar disaster. As a result of 1926 Miami hurricane and the 1928 storm, Palm Beach County, along with the rest of South Florida, began suffering economic turmoil and pushed the region into the Great Depression, even before the Wall Street Crash of 1929 . Housing prices dropped dramatically in the county, with the total real estate value in West Palm Beach falling to $ 41.6 million in 1930 and then to $ 18.2 million in 1935. However,

6560-482: The use of Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office helicopters to medevac critically injured patients to area hospitals. At the Trauma Hawk Station, located at the south-west corner of Palm Beach International Airport , the department has two Sikorsky S-76 C helicopters. The air ambulances are identically equipped and can carry two patients each and up to four medical attendants if needed. Each helicopter

6642-543: Was $ 53.8 million, up from $ 48.5 million in FY 2017. Meanwhile, Local Option Gas Taxes paid by motorists for gasoline decreased for the first time in five years, partially due to higher gasoline prices, which reduced the number of miles driven, according to the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller's Checks & Balances report. The county is governed by a board of commissioners , consisting of seven commissioners, who are all elected from single-member districts. One of

6724-555: Was closing the Boca headquarters and moving its administrative staff out of state along with some employees. Likewise, A360 Media, LLC , publisher of the National Enquirer , was headquartered in Boca Raton, but moved New York in 2014. For 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $ 53,242, and for a family was $ 64,445. Males had a median income of $ 44,324 versus $ 37,337 for females. The per capita income for

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