Firefighters pay for hotel room of PWD who had no home

The crew of Fire Station 37 who responded to the woman’s call.  Image: Facebook/Broward Sheriff’s Office

Firefighters from Florida, USA, went above their call of duty when they secured a hotel room for a woman with disability who had no home.

The woman, whose mother recently passed away, apparently got kicked out of her home before she could find a job and called Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) for assistance. Prior to her mother’s death, the woman lived with her and took care of her full time.

“Before she could get a job and start making an income, she was kicked out of her home and began living from hotel to hotel. Money eventually ran out. She called BSO,” said the sheriff’s office on June 18. 

https://www.facebook.com/browardsheriffsoffice/photos/a.224883684215433/2866511530052622/?type=3&theater

The BSO sent their crew from Fire Station 37 to respond to the woman, who found her outside the Broward Center for Independent Living in Lauderdale Lakes with all her belongings and her dog.

“After unsuccessfully trying to secure her a free bed for the night, they decided to take the woman, her puppy, and her essentials to a nearby hotel and pay for her room,” added the BSO.

Daniel Rodriguez, part of the crew that responded, said the woman had over 10 bags and boxes of personal belongings, as per Yahoo Lifestyle on June 19. It was also raining and past midnight when they found her.

“We contacted Broward Sheriff’s Office about a homeless outreach program we have, but that’s only 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., so the service was unavailable,” Rodriguez was quoted as saying. “We couldn’t go to a shelter because she had a dog with her. We were left with our hands tied.”

In the end, the three firefighters decided to take her to a hotel instead and split the cost of the room among themselves.

“We got her on the stretcher and she told us which items to grab for her… We’ve never felt like this — all 3 of us unanimously felt compassion for this lady,” added Rodriguez. “She was very appreciative, she cried with us, she talked with us about personal things. It wasn’t just assistance, she also needed someone to talk to.”

The firefighters also gave the woman, who said she would be fetched by her brother the following day, contact numbers and information of local shelters should she need assistance. 

“That’s kind of how we try to operate in the City of Lauderdale Lakes,” District Chief Ken Kronheim said in the report. “We’re proactive about going the extra mile.”  Cody Cepeda /ra

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