In a display of exceptional skill and teamwork, the Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue team was honored for their life-saving actions during a critical incident last year in Weston when a contractor struck an underground high-voltage line, leading to severe injury and cardiac arrest. The City of Weston recognized the swift response and advanced life support procedures that the EMS Captain Gareth Bradley, Captain Regis Smeltz, Lieutenant Sean Quintoni, and several Firefighter/Paramedics provided, which were instrumental in the extraordinary recovery of the afflicted contractor.
On November 11, 2024, the team, consisting of EMS Captain Gareth Bradley, Captain Regis Smeltz, Lieutenant Sean Quintoni, and Firefighter/Paramedics Lisette Muñoz, Josef Pesta, Brett Ishmael, Fernando Gajate, and Roberto Di Piazza were called into action when an FPL transformer grounding task went awry, and a chain of survival that included bystander CPR and rapid intervention by the BSO Fire Rescue was initiated the team provided several rounds of defibrillation, medications, and other advanced life support methods ensuring the patient regained a pulse and resumed breathing on their own.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue team's dedication continued to bear fruit as the patient, after being airlifted to a hospital equipped with a specialized cardiac trauma team, spent 16 days receiving medical care before being transferred to a rehabilitation facility.
The heroes from the Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue were celebrated as Employees of the Month for May 2025, and it is this kind of unyielding spirit and medical expertise that was commemorated during a special presentation by Weston's City Commission on Monday, a ceremony where Chief Todd Draizin praised the fire rescue team for their commendable service, as reported by the City of Weston's official news.
