Learning locally - City of Coral Springs

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features Helping in Haiti USAR team showcases heroes among us Four of our very own firefighters were recently deployed to Haiti after the devastating earthquake struck the island on January 12. Battalion Chief Michael McNally, Captain Michael Caldaro, Captain Joseph Russoniello and Captain Michael Moser are four of 18 Coral Springs firefighters who are volunteer members of the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team. The days following the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Americans were bombarded with news, and many heard about the Caribbean Market rescue in which rescuers from South Florida, New York and Turkey saved five people who had been trapped in the rubble for about five days. The fivestory supermarket was one of the largest in Port-au-Prince. These four Coral Springs firefighters were part of that rescue mission. “It took us 26 hours to get the first person out,” McNally said. Although the Caribbean Market was a successful mission for the USAR teams, few people heard about the rescue mission the night prior, where these Coral Springs firefighters became part of history. On Friday, January 15, just a day after the team arrived on the island, McNally, Caldaro and Russoniello, along with other USAR members, saved the lives of two young women at a church site. One of the girls had an arm pinned under a cement beam. She had been trapped for three days and was crying out for help. The team worked five hours just to get to her and once they reached her, the only way to save her life was to amputate her arm. In the end, she was happy and thankful to Battalion Chief Michael McNally, Captain Michael Moser, Captain Joseph Russoniello and Captain Michael Caldaro spent 12 days in January helping with the search and rescue efforts in Haiti. be alive. Only a few feet away from her was another 26-year-old girl who was found trapped in a confined space. She too was saved and was lucky to have been able to walk away practically unharmed. “It was the first time since the inception of the USAR team in 1991 that we made live rescues,” Caldaro said. “It was exciting to be part of the team’s history.” Caldaro and Russoniello are two of the original eight Coral Springs firefighters to join USAR in 2002. Russoniello decided to join after the tragedies of September 11, 2001. “When you have a disaster of such magnitude, it overwhelms firefighters and I wanted to help,” he said. These men train extensively to be part of USAR and are often deployed to assist during natural disasters, such as in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Ike. “There is no comparison between this mission and that of a hurricane. It was different circumstances with building construction … concrete was heavier. This was much more serious and much more dangerous,” Russoniello said. USAR members are all rescue technicians, also known as Rock Movers, but some of them specialize in certain areas. Moser is a Communications Tech, so he deals with setting up a satellite center at the mission site to ensure that the team can communicate with the base. He’s also in charge of leading the team to their destination with the use of a GPS, while still navigating through the destruction. Caldaro is a HAZ-MAT tech and he ensures that the site is safe for rescuers to go in and do their job. He monitors air in the atmosphere to make sure that it’s breathable and that there are no explosives or gas leaks on site. Lastly, Russoniello is a Search Tech. He deals with cameras and listening devices to help find trapped victims. “Without these tasks, the USAR team as a whole can’t function,” Moser said. In turn, deployments such as this one also benefit Coral Springs’ residents because the team also brings its skills back to the community. “It gives us hands-on experience so that if we had anything like that happen here, we’re now better suited to deal with it,” McNally said. Despite it being the most dangerous mission they’ve ever been on, these Coral Springs firefighters don’t see themselves as heroes. “The idea of getting killed was in the forefront, but I don’t see myself as a hero,” Caldaro said. “Just somebody that had the opportunity to be part of a rescue team.” They returned home to their families safely after working non-stop for 12 grueling days. Despite the dangers, they’d do it all over again. “We’d all go back in a heartbeat,” McNally said. “We’d do the same thing without any reservations.” Whether they think so or not, they are truly heroes in our 4 • Coral Springs • Spring 2010 Visit CoralSprings.org
features City offers wide range of committees Bobbie Lewis-Solar has a passion for giving back. She devotes countless hours each year to various community boards and committees. Several years ago, Lewis-Solar’s generosity was instrumental in bringing the successful Festival of the Arts to Coral Springs. As a volunteer for the Friends of the Museum, Lewis- Solar recalls chatting with other volunteers about ways to bring more art to Coral Springs. If an outdoor festival took place, a non-profit organization was necessary to host it. She recalls asking how much money that would cost. The answer: $750. On the spot, she took out her checkbook and donated the money to get the process started. “Every time I see that event I think, ‘That’s my little baby,’” she said. Lewis-Solar moved to Coral Springs 15 years ago and wanted to be involved with her community. Her interests began with the Garden Club, which opened the door to service on her first City committee, the Neighborhood and Environmental Committee. Today, she also donates her time to Friends of the Museum, Customer-Involved Government Committee, Special Events Funding Committee, Public Art Committee, and several groups at the Coral Springs Medical Center. “I live here, and I want to make the City the best it can be,” she said. “It’s very rewarding.” The City offers myriad committees and ways for people to get involved. Committee meetings are open to the public, and anyone is welcome to attend. Some City boards and committees require applications, and the City announces on its web site when vacancies become available. The City’s boards and committees address everything from art to construction, education to finance, and history to diversity. For Lewis-Solar, volunteering means being involved with the place she calls home. She said she always encourages people to attend meetings or meet with elected and City officials because they all genuinely want to listen to what citizens want and need. “I feel like it’s my community, and if something can be done, it starts with me,” she said. “Anyone can volunteer, and it’s so rewarding.” City Manager Michael Levinson thanks the City’s dedicated volunteers at this year’s State of the City event, which highlighted 2009 accomplishments. CoralSprings.org/committees Watch CityTV 25 Spring 2010 • Coral Springs • 5
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Learning locally - City of Coral Springs

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