Latest news with #WCFR
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Walton County crews respond to diesel spill
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Walton County Fire Rescue and the Walton County Sheriff's Office have responded to a diesel spill from a sunken boat. According to a Walton County Sheriff's Office Facebook post, the spill occurred at Portland Landing at Alaqua Creek west of Freeport. Dolphin transport underway at Gulf World Authorities report that fuel is actively leaking into the water and flowing downstream. A WCFR battalion chief with advanced HAZMAT training leads the response as Walton County Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection are en route for assistance The landing is closed and is expected to be closed for an extended period. Officials urge citizens to avoid the area so crews can safely manage the scene. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
South Walton Fire District puts new fire engine into service
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Engine 6 is the South Walton Fire District's first fire engine put into service within the past 25 years. The $661,000 engine will help provide better service on the east end of the beaches. 'We've added ambulances over the years. But as this community has continued to grow out here, the exponential growth we're seeing along the eastern portion of our county is really requiring us to be focused on this,' Fire Chief Administrator Ryan Crawford said. The station serves Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Seaside, and Grayton Beach. Over the past 4 years, Fire Station-1 has seen a 62% increase in calls. That's proven to be challenging at times. 'You know, one of the challenges we have is what we refer to as concurrency, where not one call happens and the engine that's here is tied up on a call,' Crawford said. When several Inlet beach emergency calls occurred at once, a second truck from the Watercolor Station would respond, increasing response time to about 15 minutes. WCFR becomes second in state to earn Gold Tier Pediatric Readiness Recognition Engine 6 will be the second truck located at Station 1 and will put them much closer. 'The national standard is 8 minutes or less. 90% of the time, that requires us to put three engines, a battalion chief, and two ambulances, all at a given location, but it's hard to assemble all at one given place. So this is going to immediately allow us to fill that gap along this eastern portion much, much faster,' Crawford said. The fire engine isn't the only new thing. 'We actually hired nine firefighters to put this truck in service. So we have a minimum of three firefighters per shift that will be on this truck,' Crawford continued. The South Walton Fire District is in the process of building a new station near Serenoa Road, between stations 1 and 2. Once it is completed, it will become the new home for Fire Engine 6. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
WCFR becomes second in state to earn Gold Tier Pediatric Readiness Recognition
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The Walton County Fire Rescue has achieved a major milestone in emergency medical care on Thursday. According to a news release, they are now the second agency in Florida to receive the Florida PEDReady Gold tier recognition for pediatric readiness. This recognition highlights WCFR's commitment to providing the highest standard of care for children in emergencies. The Florida Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Program was developed in collaboration with the state and national organizations. The goal is to ensure EMS agencies are prepared to care for critically ill and injured children. The Gold tier represents the highest level of pediatric preparedness. Officials said it recognizes agencies that have dedicated pediatric care coordinators, specialized equipment, and comprehensive training programs for their teams. 'This recognition is a testament to our team's dedication to ensuring that every child in our community receives the best possible emergency care,' Fire Chief Austin Pugh said. 'We are incredibly proud to be the second agency in Florida to achieve this Gold tier status. It reflects our ongoing commitment to excellence and the safety of our youngest patients.' With this achievement, WCFR continues to set the standard for pediatric emergency care, ensuring children in the community receive the highest level of medical attention when needed the most. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rapidly spreading brush fire in Walton County prompts evacuations
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Walton County Fire Rescue is on scene of a large brush fire off Highway 331 S that is rapidly spreading north, a few miles south of Interstate 10. According to fire officials, residents are being evacuated from homes on Edgewood Circle as the fire advances. Firefighters are working quickly to contain the fire. Brush fire shuts down traffic in Bay County The traffic on Highway 331 S may be impacted, WCFR officials wrote in a Facebook post. Everyone in the area is urged to use caution, follow all evacuation orders, and keep a safe distance to allow firefighters to work the scene. News 13 will provide updates as more information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
PCB Scottish Festival hosts first ever 2-day event
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) – For the first time ever, the Panama City Beach Scottish Festival has expanded to two days. It started Friday night and goes through Saturday. Event goers can expect to see axe throwing, live music, a petting zoo, traditional Scottish food, and the fan-favorite Highland Games this year. WCFR contain camper fire on Oak Grove Rd., Darlington It began Friday with the first Calling of the Clans ceremony. The ceremony allows attendees to show their pride for their ancestors and family names while sharing their love for Scottish culture and tradition. 'It was calling them in just as kind of a joyful celebration to kick off the games and to have our families and clans here with us. To do that, they got a chance to do their clan cry and their war chant. And it was really something to see. I really enjoyed it,' PCB Scottish Festival Committee Member Bill McCurdy said. This is the 31st Scottish festival, and it hasn't always been in Panama City Beach. Before 2016, the festival was held at the Grace Presbyterian Church in Panama City. 'It was hard because I didn't want to leave the church, but the, the first of all, just outgrowth outgrew the grounds and it was hemorrhaging money. So we had to make a choice. So we moved over here to the courts. The church is always invited to come in and participate, and we don't charge them a vendor fee,' McCurdy said. Saturday's schedule is jam-packed; gates will open at 9 a.m., and live music will start at 10 a.m. The opening ceremony will be at noon, followed by live music throughout the day, but the most popular activity will be the Highland Games. 'It's individuals. They come over to the class, they compete, and they come from all over the country. And they're all competing, you know, for points… the best of the day, they get the big sword, the big claymore, and they get to walk around and get bragging rights,' McCurdy said. FWC discusses plan to authorize regulated black bear hunting He says the representatives of the different families are also a big attraction. 'These guys are very knowledgeable. They know about their families. They know the history of Scotland. They know the histories of their clans and their families, their tartans, what it all means to them. And some of them, it means a whole lot,' McCurdy added. The festival will wrap up Saturday at around 5:30 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
