Fort Lauderdale Firefighter's Local 765

10/22/2026

🚒 YOUR FIREFIGHTERS’ 2026 VOTER GUIDE 🗳️

From statewide offices to local races, the attached guide outlines your firefighters’ endorsements and positions on key ballot questions.

We encourage you to review the candidates listed and support these ballot positions:

Opposed to Amendment 3 based on no assurance to protect public safety.
✅ Vote YES on Fort Lauderdale Charter Amendment 9.
✅ Vote YES on Fort Lauderdale Charter Amendment 10.

Save this guide for reference, share it with friends and family, and make a plan to vote.

Thank you for standing with your firefighters and keeping public safety a priority in our communities.

10/15/2026

Public safety deserves a direct voice and clear accountability.

Making police and fire chiefs charter officers is about strengthening how our city oversees public safety.

A direct reporting relationship with the City Commission can help ensure elected officials hear professional public safety recommendations firsthand, understand department needs, and hold leadership directly accountable for results.

That structure can also mean more transparent budget discussions, a better balance of administrative authority, and a stable foundation for long-term planning. When staffing, equipment, emergency readiness, and community safety are being discussed, the professionals responsible for those services should have a direct voice at the table.

This is not a blank check. It is not less oversight. Elected officials still make funding decisions. The goal is to make those decisions with clear information, professional expertise, and public accountability.

Fort Lauderdale deserves a structure that connects public safety leadership directly with the representatives residents elect.

Clear oversight. Stronger leadership. Better public safety governance.

Common Sense Public Safety Charter Change for a Better Fort Lauderdale.

10/02/2026

Florida’s firefighters support meaningful property tax relief. We also believe Floridians deserve to understand what Amendment 3 could mean for the public safety services they rely on every day.

FPF President Wayne “Bernie” Bernoska explains why we’re asking voters to learn how their local fire department is funded, ask questions, and understand the consequences before Election Day.

Read his op-ed in the Palm Beach Post: https://www.aol.com/articles/floridians-ask-whats-next-amendent-090809000.html

09/22/2026

Fort Lauderdale Firefighters Charities is proud to share that we were able to secure three Fire Academy scholarships for members of Explorer Post 713. These scholarships will help support these outstanding young adults as they begin the first steps on their path toward a career in the fire service.

Each of these individuals has demonstrated exemplary commitment to their school, the Explorers program, and the community throughout their time with Post 713. We are excited to help invest in their future and proud to support the next generation of firefighters.

A special thank you to Broward County Commissioner Lamar Fisher and Westway Towing for their generous donations toward these scholarships. Your support is helping make a real difference.

06/26/2026

Welcome aboard!

02/21/2026

Come on down to the Riverwalk Chili Cook off and see Company 29 go for the win!

02/12/2026

Great work by our members and huge shout out to our EMS division and medical director!

In January, 46% of cardiac arrest patients treated by Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue regained a pulse during emergency care, compared to a statewide average of 26%.

This reflects continued improvements in cardiac arrest response, including rapid 911 calls, early CPR, advanced life-saving care, and coordinated teamwork from dispatch to hospital.

(Note: Regaining a pulse - ROSC - is one important early step in cardiac arrest care. Outcomes vary based on many factors.)

01/31/2026

🔥🏛️ Firefighter Day at the Capitol

President Keith Costa and Vice President James Chioffe walked the halls of our Capitol alongside firefighters from the Florida Professional Firefighters.

We appreciated the opportunity to meet with our legislators and advocate for issues that matter most to our Firefighters.

While we were there, we were lucky to run into our Fire Chief Stephen Gollan while he was attending Broward Days at the Capitol.

01/17/2026

🚔🤝🚒 Beyond the Badge — Stronger Together

While attending the Fort Lauderdale FOP Above and Beyond Awards, IAFF Fort Lauderdale Firefighters President Keith Costa and Fire Chief Stephen Gollan were officially named “Honorary Police Officers” complete with a hilarious presentation and plenty of laughs. 😄

All kidding aside, we truly appreciate the close relationship between our police and fire departments, and the strong bond between our unions. Together, we are stronger.

Thank you to the Fort Lauderdale FOP for a great event and for recognizing (and witnessing) the incredible dedication our police officers bring to the job every day. 💙

12/10/2025

🚒 Engine Company 2 had a special visitor today!

City of Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Ben Sorensen joined our crews for a ride-along and a behind-the-scenes look at the work our firefighters do every day.

During the visit, our team walked him through:
• How our apparatus and equipment operate on emergency scenes
• The frequency and purpose of our training routines such as masking up, pulling hose lines and high frequency CPR
• A demonstration of the First Due app, which helps firefighters access building layouts, fire protection systems, and potential hazards before arriving on scene

Commissioner Sorensen also shared lunch with the crew, met our newest hires during their training, and toured our logistics warehouse to see how we keep our department ready to respond.

Huge thank you to Commissioner Sorensen for spending the afternoon with us and taking the time to learn more about the work our members do to keep Fort Lauderdale safe. 👨‍🚒🔥