PCB firefighters take advantage of condo's broken pump to train for worst-case scenario

Lori Steineck, The News Herald
·2 min read

PANAMA CITY BEACH — With a Beach condo's fire pump out of service, firefighters pumped hundreds of gallons of water into the high-rise's water pressure system on Thursday to keep its residents safe.

It was the third day in a row that fire crews were working at Emerald Isle Beach Resort, 17545 Front Beach Road.

While the firefighters were training, they also were performing a vital service. The drill included boosting the high-rise's water pressure to make up for the building's downed fire pump, according to Battalion Chief Tim Smith of the Panama City Beach Fire Department.

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Panama City Beach firefighters gather across from the Emerald Isle Beach Resort as they prepare to pump water into the building's system. The building's fire pump is down and the added water will keep the internal supply topped off in the event of a fire, according to Battalion Chief Tim Smith.
Panama City Beach firefighters gather across from the Emerald Isle Beach Resort as they prepare to pump water into the building's system. The building's fire pump is down and the added water will keep the internal supply topped off in the event of a fire, according to Battalion Chief Tim Smith.

The pump is designed to push water up the "stand pipes" on the outside walls all the way to the top floor. The water was needed to get enough pressure for the building's fire suppression system, including the sprinklers, should a fire break out.

Being on the island with the most high-rise buildings in the Panhandle, Panama City Beach firefighters frequently conduct similar training exercises, Smith said.

"We have some type of high-rise structure fire training tactics almost monthly," he said, adding that, "We are fortunate that we have an aggressive fire inspection system." No major high-rise fires have broken out in recent history.

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During Thursday's drill, the 17 firefighters on the shift added water from their 750-gallon fire engines to boost the condo's system.

If a fire were to break out, the building's water supply will be enough for firefighters to address it, and the sprinkler system will help with suppressing the fire, Smith said.

All 51 of the department's firefighters get the training for what Smith said is a "common issue out here on the Beach. The salt air will always intrude and cause issues."

Because there are so many high-rises in Panama City Beach, "We go out frequently and train on these condos," he said.

Smith said the 23-story Emerald Isle is one of 58 high-rises on the island. The tallest is the Tidewater Beach Resort, 16189 Front Beach Road, with 32 floors.

Smith said Emerald Isle's fire pump likely will be repaired in the next couple of weeks.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Beach firefighters boost condo's fire pressure system