TAVARES — For the second consecutive holiday weekend, paramedics from the Lake County Department of Public Safety Fire Rescue Division will accompany Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies in responding to emergencies occurring on the County’s lakes and waterways.

Three paramedics will be stationed on sheriff's office vessels patrolling Lake County's most heavily traveled lakes and rivers during the Fourth of July weekend. The partnership with the Lake County Sheriff's Office first began during Memorial Day weekend and will be extended through the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends, according to Jim Dickerson, Lake County Fire Rescue Division Operations Chief.

"It takes so long to get medical assistance out to people on the water, we just saw this as a way to address that concern," he said.

This program is the result of a continuing effort to maximize resources of the Sheriff's Office and County Fire Rescue to better serve and protect the citizens and visitors of Lake County.

The paramedics will be stationed along some of Lake County's busiest waterways, including the Harris Chain of Lakes and the St. Johns River. The paramedics will work 12-hour shifts from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Paramedics will be equipped with life-saving equipment, including a cardiac monitor and an oxygen tank.

“They can pretty much handle any medical emergency that comes their way,” Dickerson said.

###

Contact information:
Christopher Patton
Communications Coordinator
Office: (352) 343-9609; Cell: (352) 455-0445
cpatton@co.lake.fl.us