BELLEAIR \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
The town\u2019s three \u201cfinger\u201d streets \u2014 winding roadways along the Intracoastal Waterway \u2014 were impassible for standard patrol cars. So the Belleair Community Foundation bought the department a Ford F-150 capable of navigating flooded streets.<\/p>\n
\u201cChief 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,\u201d foundation President Karla Rettstatt told the Town Commission on Nov. 18. \u201cAnd I said, \u2018Well, you find a truck, and we\u2019ll buy the truck!\u2019 And that\u2019s what we did.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“It’s a mack daddy of a truck,” Rettstatt said.<\/p>\n
Mayor Mike Wilkinson accepted the donation at the commission meeting, calling it “incredibly generous.”<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
The truck has already been incorporated into the department’s daily operations.<\/p>\n
Doyle thanked the foundation for its continued support of the police department and other town services.<\/p>\n
Rettstatt encouraged residents to join the organization and support its events, including an upcoming concert in January.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n