BELLEAIR — After Hurricane Milton caused widespread flooding in Pinellas County last fall, Belleair Police Chief Rick Doyle realized his department lacked a vehicle capable of reaching stranded residents.
The town’s three “finger” streets — winding roadways along the Intracoastal Waterway — were impassible for standard patrol cars. So the Belleair Community Foundation bought the department a Ford F-150 capable of navigating flooded streets.
“Chief came to us after the hurricane and said he was having trouble getting out to the fingers because the water was too deep, and he had wanted to buy a truck,” foundation President Karla Rettstatt told the Town Commission on Nov. 18. “And I said, ‘Well, you find a truck, and we’ll buy the truck!’ And that’s what we did.”
Doyle said high-water rescue vehicles proved too expensive, so he found a less costly option that still met the department’s needs: a lifted F-150 Black Widow edition.
“It’s a mack daddy of a truck,” Rettstatt said.
Mayor Mike Wilkinson accepted the donation at the commission meeting, calling it “incredibly generous.”
“This new tool strengthens our storm preparedness efforts by allowing officers to have greater mobility to areas affected by minor flooding during heavy rains and high-water events,” Wilkinson said.
The truck has already been incorporated into the department’s daily operations.
Doyle thanked the foundation for its continued support of the police department and other town services.
Rettstatt encouraged residents to join the organization and support its events, including an upcoming concert in January.
“We really hope more and more people in Belleair will become members,” she said. “It helps us buy trucks, helps our parks, helps our recreation center, and helps the town.”
For more information, visit bcfworks.org.