Sanibel fire board OKs easement, equipment
The Sanibel Fire and Rescue District’s commission approved an easement agreement with the city and equipment for Station 171 at its recent meeting, as well as heard an update on the Station 172 drone.
On May 13, the commissioners voted unanimously 3-0 to approve and authorize Fire Chief Kevin Barbot to negotiate and approve the terms and conditions of the agreement for the Palm Ridge Road station for the reconstruction project. It will be contingent upon review and approval by the district attorney and city attorney.
Also during the meeting, the commission voted 3-0 on a resolution authorizing the purchase of a personal protection equipment (PPE) extractor and air scrubber/exhaust capture system for the same station in an amount not to exceed about $46,372 — covered by a state grant and district funding.
Prior to the vote, Barot explained that the equipment would support firefighter cancer prevention efforts by helping to reduce exposure to contaminants through proper gear cleaning and air filtration.
The purchase would be funded by the State Cancer Grant that the district received in the amount of about $46,372, with the remaining cost of about $14,201 paid for using funds from the district.
Also at the meeting, Barbot provided an update on the drone at the Sanibel-Captiva Road station.
He reported that the county finished installing it and it is operational. The drone’s range includes The Sanibel School and J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, with a run time of 45 minutes.
Barbot spoke about some of its features, including a side parachute that will deploy if it enters a free fall to avoid damage and notifications sent to staff when it is launched. The drone is controlled by county staff via a website and plug-in controllers. It can also lock onto a target and track or follow it.
“The zoom and clarity is unbelievable,” he said.
The county installed additional ones in downtown Fort Myers and North Fort Myers, on Fort Myers Beach and at Florida Gulf Coast University. Barbot noted that he would like to see if they could possibly expand the island equipment to Station 171 in the future once the reconstruction is finished.
“Operationally, this is a game changer,” Deputy Fire Chief John DiMaria added.
IN OTHER NEWS
– Assistant Fire Chief Chris Jackson reported that the crew moved out of Station 171 on April 30 and into a manufactured home at the site in preparation for the reconstruction project for the building.
– DiMaria reported that the district responded to 144 calls in April, compared to 176 calls for the same month last year. It has responded to 593 calls this year, compared to 739 calls for the same time period for 2025.
– Division Chief of Prevention Larry Williams reported that he conducted 26 fire plan reviews and 109 fire inspections in April.
– The following staff were recognized for their years of service: firefighter Micheal Basora for two years.