Communication and coordination were key in Palm Coast's response to Hurricane Ian

Palm Coast Observer
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Early preparation and communication was the key to Palm Coast’s response to Hurricane Ian, according to Palm Coast’s fire chief.

Palm Coast City Council votes to fund five new deputies

The Palm Coast City Council voted to approve a resolution to fund five additional deputies for the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

The resolution splits the hiring and funding into two parts.

Two deputies will be funded beginning Oct. 1, 2022, and the other three will be funded in January 2023.

The council members approved the funding in a 5-0 vote at their Oct. 4 meeting.

The approved resolution will be the fifth amendment to the city’s interlocal agreement with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services.

Amendments two through four were approved from January to September of 2021, and added 14 new deputy positions.

With this approved resolution, the FCSO will have added 19 new deputy positions in just under two years.

Email Sierra Williams at [email protected].

“Our preparation for an event such as this is continuous,” Chief Kyle Berryhill told the Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday Oct. 4. “The vision for us is that we need to be prepared for anything that happens in the city, whether it’s a hurricane or pandemic.”

The city begins preparing for hurricanes and major storms in February each year by making sure that the city’s Public Works Department has what it needs — like 50,000 sandbags, ready to go, Berryhill said.

They city also uses Geographic Information System — or GIS — technology as the storm approached, targeting specific areas for evacuation and information messaging, Berryhill said.

Chief Jerry Forte accepts the proclamation. Photo by Sierra Williams

Oct. 14 named 'Chief Jerry Forte Appreciation Day'

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin declared Oct. 14 “Chief Jerry Forte Appreciation Day” during an Oct. 4 Palm Coast City Council meeting, in recognition of retiring Palm Coast Fire Department Chief Gerard “Jerry” Forte.

Alfin and City Manager Denis Bevan both read and presented the proclamation to Forte, who was bracketed by members of the Fire Department that he has worked with and led for 32 years.

Forte accepted the proclamation plaque, overcome with emotion.

“I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to do what I love to do for 32 years,” he said. “With people like this that [are] standing behind you — I would kick in doors with these people every day.”

Forte started his career in 1990 as a volunteer firefighter, according to a press release from the city. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1997, captain in 2000, deputy fire chief in 2009, and fire chief in 2018, the press release stated.

Robert MacDonald, a retired firefighter from New Jersey and advocate of firefighters in Palm Coast, also presented Forte with a piece of art depicting a fire truck with the word “Let’s Roll.”

MacDonald requested that it be placed in Fire Station 25, where the chief stays.

Chief Forte retires on Oct. 14 2022, after a formal ceremony transferring command to Fire Department Chief Kyle Berryhill. The ceremony will be at 2 p.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center and is open to the public, according to the press release.

Departments across the county worked together through the storm to ensure that residents got the help they needed.

Stormwater and utility field crews worked continuously throughout the storm, except for a few hours in the morning of Thursday Sept. 29, when it was too dangerous to work.

Emergency responders worked throughout the storm.

The emergency call center went up in preparation for the storm and stayed open for six days, 24 hours a day.

The call center took over 4,500 calls during that time, Berryhill said.

“Each event such as this one is an opportunity for … a thorough after-action review and make improvements,” Berryhill said. “It’s not an attempt to pat ourselves on the back, but a critical review of our effort.”

City Council members took turns thanking and acknowledging the work that emergency response teams conducted during the storm.

Councilman Nick Klufas agreed with Berryhill that it is now time to fix issues like flooding in neighborhoods like the Woodlands.

“Now it’s our job as a council to go back and ensure that we have everything in place — like perhaps infrastructure issues — to resolve some of the higher level things,” Klufas said. “But out in the field, everyone did tremendous. I’m sure you’re all exhausted, but I’m thankful for all of you being here.”