City quadruples rescue fleet amid increasing flood risks

St. Petersburg Fire Rescue had one high-water vehicle to complete hundreds of citywide missions during recent storms. It will soon have four. 

City Councilmember Lisset Hanewicz highlighted the “good news” item Thursday, initially relegated to the typically overlooked consent agenda. She realized the agency’s need after visiting Station No. 4, which serves the city’s lowest-lying neighborhood, Shore Acres, in Hurricane Helene’s aftermath. 

When asked what the city could do to help, St. Pete Fire Rescue (SPFR) personnel unanimously stressed the need for additional high-water rescue vehicles. Division Chief Brett Ciskoski said the department relied on borrowed, ill-equipped trucks to pull residents from Helene’s floodwaters.  

“These are going to save lives,” Ciskoski said. “That’s the bottom line.” 

Two of the three new vehicles have pumps to fight fires.

Hanewicz and her colleagues on the council prioritized fire rescue’s request for additional high-water vehicles. However, agency and city officials thought they could only secure one.

St. Petersburg’s Fleet and Procurement Departments completed a deal with Memphis Equipment Company to purchase three remanufactured military vehicles for $280,500. Those can typically navigate 30 to 42 inches of water. 

Ciskoski said SPFR has used its current high-water vehicle, stationed near Fossil Park, for over a decade.  “It is aging and does need frequent maintenance,” he added. “So, these three new vehicles will be a welcome relief.”

Memphis Equipment will furnish and deliver the reconditioned former military trucks, equipment and parts to the city. Two of the three will have pumps to fight fires. 

Ciskoski noted that floodwaters often prevent fire engines from reaching a blaze. Noah Torres, a firefighter-paramedic with the High-Water Rescue Team, previously told the Catalyst that the city is fortunate to have pressurized hydrants that can operate while submerged. 

Ciskoski said the vehicles have a “side lift gate capable of taking people in stretchers and wheelchairs from the ground level to the bed.” Borrowed trucks from other city departments lack that capacity. 

Flooding risks now extend far beyond eastern coastal neighborhoods like Shore Acres and Riviera Bay. Ciskoski noted that recent anomalous storms inundated areas from west St. Petersburg to Lake Maggiore on the city’s south side.

SPFR can now strategically station high-water vehicles in “all areas of the city.” Ciskoski highlighted the increasing need. 

In 2017, the agency conducted four non-emergency evacuations during Hurricane Irma. In 2023, SPFR rescued 75 people and 18 pets in just three hours during Hurricane Idalia. 

Ciskoski said flash flooding caused by extreme rain swamped five vehicles in September 2024. That number soared to 50 the following day. 

“We were chasing, with the one high-water vehicle we had, all over the city to try and make sure there were no citizens trapped,” Ciskoski added. “I was on 34th Street … in almost waist-deep water.” 

SPFR borrowed three trucks and evacuated 430 residents during Helene. Rescuers answered 1,744 emergency calls and responded to seven structure fires during the storm. 

Torres stressed that he and his colleagues merely “had a job to do.” He said there were “families pretty much everywhere.” 

Ciskoski said Thursday that all four vehicles used during Helene lacked lift gates. “We were having to put together laddering systems.” 

St. Petersburg Fire Rescue stations its current high-water vehicle about two miles west of low-lying neighborhoods along Tampa Bay. Photo: City of St. Petersburg.

Councilmember Brandi Gabbard noted that an elderly Riviera Bay resident died during the storm. While the new vehicles may not have saved his life, she is certain those will prevent future fatalities. 

“I think my only question would be – is this enough?” Gabbard continued. “As the city continues to grow, as we have more and more areas that are being inundated with flooding, is this enough?” 

Ciskoski said SPFR would identify additional needs “for sure.” Gabbard implored him to notify the council as those arise. 

Councilmember Corey Givens Jr. said the distribution of additional vehicles is a “step in the right direction” toward ensuring an equitable emergency services response. “I just want to thank you all for what you do … thank you for being our first responders.” 

Facebook reel: St. Petersburg Fire Rescue.