Jupiter Fire Rescue took 132 calls in its first five days, 103 of them medical, and took more than 75 patients to the hospital, the fire chief told council.
Jupiter Fire Rescue answered 132 calls in its first five days as the town’s own fire department. Most were medical emergencies.
Fire Chief Darrel Donatto gave the figures to the Town Council on Oct. 6. They are recorded in the minutes of that meeting (PDF), which are in the packet for the council’s meeting Tuesday.
The department went live at midnight Oct. 1. It replaced Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, which had served the town for almost 40 years. Donatto told the council the switch came “on schedule and on budget,” according to the minutes.
The first five days in numbers
The chief’s report covered Oct. 1 to Oct. 5. The minutes record:
- 132 calls in all
- 103 medical calls
- 18 fire, alarm and hazard calls
- six vehicle crashes
- more than 75 patients taken to the hospital
The first call came in at 1:13 a.m. on Oct. 1. Less than two hours later, crews answered their first cardiac arrest, Donatto said.
Which station was busiest
Jupiter Fire Rescue runs three stations, according to the town’s fire stations page:
| Station | Location | Calls, Oct. 1-5 |
|---|---|---|
| Station 12 | 2197 W. Indiantown Road, next to Cinquez Park | 60 |
| Station 11 | temporary site at 1501 Frederick Small Road | 51 |
| Station 10 | 500 N. U.S. Highway 1 | 18 |
Station 11 will move to a permanent home at 3550 Military Trail, the town says. It has not given a date.
Six places, mostly senior living and skilled nursing centers, produced one in every four calls, the chief told the council.
Where patients went
Of the patients taken to the hospital, 87% went to Jupiter Medical Center. Four went to the new Alan B. Miller Medical Center in Palm Beach Gardens, about six miles south. Four went to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach and one to the VA medical center, the minutes say.
Crews also gave whole blood to one patient, who is doing well, Donatto said. The battalion chief carries the blood in his vehicle and swaps it with Jupiter Medical Center so none goes to waste.
Help across the town line
Jupiter crews helped Palm Beach Gardens five times in the first five days. Palm Beach Gardens crews helped Jupiter seven times. “Residents get the closest help, regardless of city line,” the chief said, according to the minutes.
NorthCom, the dispatch center that now sends fire rescue units for both towns, started the same night. It had never dispatched fire rescue before, and it handled every call, Donatto said.
Council member Dan Guisinger asked how response times compared with the county’s. Donatto said five days of data was too little to judge, but that times were “consistent with expectations.”
What it costs
The town expects Jupiter Fire Rescue to cost about $25 million in its first year. Residents paid about $32 million for county fire rescue this past year, and the town estimates the county’s bill would have grown to about $35 million. Those figures are from the town’s fire rescue questions and answers.
What it means for you
- Call 911 the same way as before. NorthCom now dispatches Jupiter Fire Rescue units to calls in town.
- Your November tax bill looks different. The county’s “Jupiter Fire/Rescue” line is gone. A town fire rate and a fire assessment replace it. Our property taxes guide explains the new lines.
- False alarms could soon cost money. On Tuesday the council takes a first vote on fees for repeat false fire and burglar alarms. Read what the fees would be.
- Non-emergency questions go to the department at 561-741-2500 or FireRescue@jupiter.fl.us, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the town’s Fire Rescue page.
Fire and police calls in Jupiter are listed in our Police and Fire log.
Have your say