BOCA RATON — Fire Chief Tom Wood presented the department’s “Excellence Award” to the eight members of Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services competition teams for their recent victory in Flagler County. The awards were presented Nov. 3 in the auditorium at 6500 Congress Avenue.
Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services Advanced Life Support Competition Team A consisting of Paramedic’s Jeff Lazzeri, Ryan 
Hardy, James Hagg and Shea Miller competed in the 3rd Annual Flagler County ALS Competition held in Flagler County. Twelve paramedic teams from across the state took part in this competition.
Boca A Team worked quickly in the 24-hour long scenario to give them the first place win. Boca Raton’s Team B with Paramedic’s Jonathan Vought, Mike Sember, Robert Parks and Evan Gaub placed second.
This year, in the final scenario, teams responded to the beach, flew in a helicopter, drove on ATV vehicles and rode with SWAT in their armored transport vehicle to treat a total of 30 patients in nine different scenarios in a 24-hour period.
Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services Department has been sending teams to competitions since 1981 throughout the state, country and in South Africa. Competitions and seminars such as these are instrumental in helping to educate and keep paramedics skills at an optimum level.
Knowledge gained at these events is brought back and introduced to the department through training and skills testing which translates into providing superior service to the citizens in the community.
Boca Raton’s competition teams are again in training as they prepare for the upcoming Creighton EMS Competition in Nebraska where last year Boca Raton placed first.