Friday, March 15, 2013
The incident on Groveland Drive left one firefighter with minor injuries on March 14.
A fire that ravaged a Lutz home March 14 left one Hillsborough County firefighter suffering minor injuries and a family without a place to stay. According to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, reports of the fire came in Thursday afternoon at 2217 Groveland Drive. While initial reports indicated someone was trapped in the home that turned out false. The family who resides there was safely out of the home, fire rescue reported. The fire was contained to the property itself, causing no damage to nearby homes. A firefighter did suffer minor injuries while extinguishing the blaze, a fire rescue media release states. Rescuers were able to recover some of he family’s memorabilia from the home. The incident remains under investigation. The American…
Sunday, February 10, 2013
A two-vehicle crash at U.S. 41 and Sunset Lane landed three in the hospital, but the patients were later reported to be in good and fair condition.
Three people were taken to a hospital following a two-vehicle crash at Sunset Lane and U.S. 41 in Lutz Saturday but were reported later to be in good and fair condition. Multiple Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews arrived the scene, according to the agency. They used specialized equipment to perform a “prompt extrication.” Rescue workers had to perform a “light extrication” to remove one of the people from a vehicle. Each of the three people taken to a hospital are adults. Each wasreported later to be in good and fair condition
Monday, January 14, 2013
To introduce potential volunteers to the program, the county is playing host to a recruitment meeting on Jan. 17.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
In case you missed them, here is a look at some of the top stories that ran on Lutz Patch this week.
Teen Overcomes Challenges to Change Lives On, Off the Field: Once left out and bullied himself, the high school senior works to promote relationships that last beyond his free, one-day clinics for children with special needs. Lutz Man, Teen Arrested for Assault at Wilderness Lake Nature Center: The two ordered six teens to the ground at gunpoint and planned to rob them, but several ran off, according to the Pasco Sheriff's Office. Superintendent Wants Armed Security At All Lutz Schools: Superintendent MaryEllen Elia has a plan that calls for a review by a security expert, and an additional 130 armed personnel at Hillsborough Schools. The extra staff would cost $4.1 million alone. Garbage Collection Changes Coming for Lutz: Hillsborough …
Thursday, January 10, 2013
An informational meeting on the new Reserve Responder Program is set for
Jan. 17.
Just because the Lutz Volunteer Fire Department has ceased to handle calls doesn’t mean the door to help out in emergencies has closed. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue kicked off its Reserve Responder Program Jan. 1, paving the way for volunteers to remain active in helping their communities. The new program is run by the agency itself instead of the six nonprofit organizations that once staffed stations. To help introduce potential volunteers to the program, the county is playing host to a recruitment meeting on Jan. 17. The meeting will provide potential volunteers with the information they need to get started. The reserve program was created late last year after the county approved a transition plan that effectively shut down its …
Monday, December 31, 2012
A drive to collect items for 5-year-old Nathan Norman of Virginia continues through Jan. 4.
The story of 5-year-old Nathan Norman’s wish to receive cards, letters and patches from first responders around the country has received national attention. The child has been mentioned in media reports, has his own Facebook page and there’s even an entry about him on Snopes.com. His harrowing battle with brain cancer has even touched the hearts of first responders right here in the Bay area. When Christina Jenks, the wife of Pasco County Fire Rescue firefighter/paramedic Eric Jenks, heard about Nathan’s story, she decided to start a drive in Pasco to collect cards and patches. Christina figured she’d collect enough to fill a box to send to Nathan in time for Christmas. Christina underestimated the response from Pasco firefighters, …
Thursday, December 13, 2012
It's not business as usual for the association. Facing closure as a volunteer station, the association debated the reality of closing up shop during a meeting on Tuesday.
After last Thursday's meeting with the chiefs of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, the Lutz Volunteer Firefighter's Association was stripped of its main duty: fostering the development and maintenance of the Lutz Volunteer Fire Department. On Jan. 1, 2013, it will no longer be the Lutz Volunteer Fire Department's station, it will be another Hillsborough County Fire Department station. The volunteer program will be transformed into what the county is calling the Reserve Responder program. Volunteers will still exist but there will be no more volunteer stations in Hillsborough County. This was tough news for a volunteer station about to celebrate its 60th year, tougher news for many of the association's board directors. "It was handled poorly…
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue will hold a public meeting in Lutz to discuss the switch away from a volunteer-run department.
The Lutz Volunteer Fire Department may be getting replaced Jan. 1, but volunteers are not. Honestly, said Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Chief Ron Rogers. “This is not a power grab,” Rogers said. “We are not getting rid of volunteers. We are changing their roles.” To discuss this new supplemental role, a slew of public meetings are being held. A meeting in Lutz is slated for 6:30 p.m. tonight (Dec. 6) at the Lutz Community Center, 98 1st Ave. N.W. Hillsborough County commissioners last month voted unanimously to replace the county’s half-dozen volunteer fire departments, including Lutz’s. The county is funding 78 new career firefighting positions through a $5.24 million budget request. Let Patch save you time. Get local stories like this …
Friday, November 30, 2012
The new Fire Rescue Reserve Responder Program will be the major topic of discussion at a series of upcoming community meetings.
While the Lutz Volunteer Fire Department will change the way it operates as of Jan. 1, that doesn’t mean Hillsborough County isn’t interested in having some extra hands to help out around its stations. Fire Rescue Chief Ron Rogers is so serious about keeping volunteers in the mix, he’s scheduled a number of upcoming public meetings to discuss his agency’s new reserve responder program. The first of five meetings takes place Monday, Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Brandon Regional Service Center, 311 Pauls Drive. A Lutz meeting is also set for Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lutz Community Center, 98 1st Ave. N.W. During the meetings, Rogers and other representatives from fire rescue will discuss such topics as: Hillsborough County Commissioners …
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Hillsborough County Commissioners gave their approval Thursday to a plan that changes the roles of volunteer firefighters.
The Lutz Volunteer Fire Department as residents know it will soon to be a thing of the past. The Hillsborough County Commission voted unanimously today, Nov. 15, to adopt a transition plan that changes the role of volunteer firefighters and eliminates their ability to man stations autonomously. The plan creates a Reserve Responder Program that will utilize current and incoming volunteers. It also adds 78 new career firefighting positions to the county’s roster. Those positions will be funded out of a $5.24 million budget request that was also approved today. The money will be “drawn down” from that multi-million-dollar pool as positions are filled. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Chief Ron Rogers presented the plan to the commission today …
Andy Warrener
11:18 am on Thursday, December 13, 2012
My thought has been to make the buildings a museum. Lutz has a rich history as does the volunteer fire department. Even the association could stay together to help keep the museum running and they could still participate in all the community events, not as a volunteer fire association but as an historical preservation society. People are going to miss that association if it just goes away. You … more ›