As Hurricane Idalia approached northern Florida in 2023, a call came in that Live Oak firefighters won’t forget.
A large oak tree had crashed through a home, trapping a man in his bed. The force of the impact pushed the roof down onto him and drove the bed through the floor. Working alongside neighboring agencies, crews quickly coordinated resources, lifted the tree and safely rescued the resident.
“The amount of crews pulling together to get this done was a phenomenal feat,” recalls Kyle Nickerson, Assistant Fire Chief with the Live Oak Fire Department.
For the firefighters serving the City of Live Oak, moments like these highlight the importance of teamwork and communication.
Located between Jacksonville and Tallahassee, the department operates from a single station with 14 personnel serving roughly 8,500 residents. Last year alone, firefighters responded to nearly 1,900 calls for service, including structure, vehicle and brush fires, medical emergencies, vehicle collisions, gas leaks, hazardous conditions and severe weather incidents.
Firefighters with the Live Oak Fire Department responded to nearly 1,900 calls in 2025, including structure, vehicle, and brush fires, medical emergencies, vehicle collisions and gas leaks.
The rescue during Hurricane Idalia also reinforced how critical clear communication can be during an emergency. As crews coordinated resources and responded to changing conditions, information needed to be shared quickly and accurately.
Through a grant from Enbridge’s Safe Community First Responder Program, the department added new communication technology to its fire apparatus, helping firefighters hear radio traffic more clearly and communicate with one another while responding to emergencies.
“It’s actually a complete game changer for us,” says Will Johnson, senior firefighter with the Live Oak Fire Department. “Before, we were always asking each other, ‘What was said over the radio?’ With the engine noise of the fire truck, along with the sirens, it makes it really hard to hear.”
