Founder selected to state search and rescue Task Force
Your chances of seeing a handmade box with reading and fire safety material for children at a public place in St. Cloud is pretty good.
FirePALS, a non-profit headed up by the St. Cloud Fire Rescue Department’s Lt. David Miller, has 11 boxes around the city, and a few more are in the works.
“We’re putting out a lot of books, the community loves it,” said Miller, who was recently selected to join Florida Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 4.
The boxes are handbuilt and locally sponsored, created, themed and painted. The first was built at the intersection of Minnesota Avenue and 10th Street, right outside Fire Rescue Station 31. They’ve since popped up at many of the city’s parks, the VFW Hall, the Community Center and more (www.myfirepals.com/locations has them all).
“It’s done the most good at Hopkins Park,” Miller said. “They’re well taken care of by the community and the kids love the activities.”
Since the reach is getting “about maxed out” in St. Cloud, Miller said the next step in growing the program is teaching another local fire department about it and expanding it.
“I’m at a point where we’re letting younger guys take it over here, and there’s no shortage of guys willing,” he said. “The program is doing fantastic and we’re maintaining our mission. We have a lot of boxes and a lot of volunteers.”
This will give Miller time to focus on Task Force 4, which he’ll join in July after what he said was a six-year process to join.
“It was a major goal in the fire service for me,” he said. “Coming from a smaller department, you have to find unique ways to get known and stand out. It’s a way to recognize the St. Cloud department and my co-workers who have all the skills, I’m hoping this creates a path for them to do the same thing.”
Florida Task Force 4 is one of 28 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces in the United States. It is made up of firefighters, paramedics, engineers, and other emergency personnel who are trained to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies.
Miller will be trained in a variety of disciplines, including search and rescue, structural collapse, and hazardous materials response. The team serves as a support response team for disasters, man-made and natural, like hurricanes or the 2021 Surfside condominium collapse in Miami.
“David is a highly skilled and experienced firefighter and Paramedic,” said Fire Chief Jason Miller. “He is a valuable asset to our department and will certainly be one wherever he will be deployed.”
