Miami Beach Fire Department Acquires Two High-Water Vehicles

Miami Beach, FL – The Miami Beach Fire Department has recently added two high-water vehicles to its fleet, strengthening the city’s commitment to disaster preparedness and public safety. These multiuse high-water flood response vehicles are essential for rescues, evacuations and other emergency operations during flooding and natural disasters.

Recent events have shown the need for continued advancement in emergency response capabilities. These vehicles, designed for navigating high-water conditions, will play a role in ensuring the safety of Miami Beach residents and visitors during natural disaster emergencies. Additionally, they will also be able to enhance public safety during high-impact special events by providing rapid transport of personnel and equipment.

“The addition of these high-water vehicles is crucial for enhancing our ability to protect lives and property during floods and other emergencies,” said Fire Chief Digna Abello. “They are an investment in our city’s safety and resilience.”

Beyond Miami Beach, these high-water vehicles are valuable for mutual aid deployments across Florida. They can be dispatched to support public safety teams in other jurisdictions, such as during post-disaster recovery efforts.

Each vehicle, a Ford F-250 with a crew cab and extended bed, is equipped with factory upgrades and emergency vehicle lighting, at a cost of $70,000 per unit. The acquisition was made possible through funding from the Urban Area Security Initiative, recognizing the vehicles’ critical capabilities in disaster response and interagency collaboration.

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