ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida's first responders are not only busy keeping us safe, they're working hard to make a difference in their communities.
The News 6 at Nine crew sees how much work law enforcement officers and other first responders put into humanizing the badge, so each week we like to take a few minutes to highlight their efforts.
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Here's what they've been up to lately.
If you watch News 6 at Nine often, you may remember meeting Holmes, a recent and very adorable addition to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. Well, like his humans, he was hard at work this week trying to polish his socialization skills during a stop at Rymfire Elementary. I know you're probably going to find this hard to believe, but some of those kids seem to have quickly become Holmes' best buds.
Tracking Holmes - May 30, 2019This week Corporal Gimbel and K9 Holmes visited Rymfire Elementary School to work on socialization, which is a big part of Holmes' training! The students in the "TRAIN" group are becoming some of Holmes best buds! Thanks for your help, guys!
Posted by Flagler County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, May 30, 2019
Members of the Palm Bay Police Department had a great time getting creative during the Puzzle Box Family Fun Day event in Melbourne. The event is held to bring awareness to autism spectrum disorders in a creative way. In fact, the department said Cpl. Fay got so creative, she received the most votes on her design in a contest held at the event. Congratulations.
Congratulations Corporal Fay! Her Autism Awareness design received the most votes at the Puzzle Box Family Fun Day...
Posted by Palm Bay Police Department on Saturday, June 1, 2019
We obviously can't let a week go by without an intense animal rescue, right? Of course not. This week, Mount Dora police officers spent 45 minutes trying to rescue Pepper Pot, a cat stuck behind a water heater at a home. With the help of firefighters, they were able to free Pepper Pot. And of course, the officers' body cameras captured the whole thing.
Firefighters in Orange County didn't drop the ball either when it came to rescuing critters this week. First, they were able to save a few missing ducklings that had fallen into a storm drain and gotten stuck in rushing water. Next, it was a baby raccoon they thought wouldn't survive. It turns out the tiny critter just needed some TLC. Hooray for happy endings.
#AnimalRescue 2769 Conroy Rd: Firefighters put their heads together to figure out how to “quack” a case of missing ducks. These baby ducklings needed a little assistance after falling into a storm drain outside of @OCAS_Orlando. pic.twitter.com/NavDrx3bf2
— OCFire Rescue (@OCFireRescue) May 30, 2019
#AdorableAlert: While our rescue partners at agencies such as Florida Fish and Wildlife are certainly the experts on wildlife, we do our fair share of animal rescue too. This past weekend, #UCF Station 65 had an unexpected encounter with this tiny baby raccoon. So young, the crew didn’t think it would survive, but looks like a little TLC was the best medicine. If you encounter wildlife in need, please always be careful - for your safety and safety of the animal, call an expert to help.
Posted by Orange County Fire Rescue Department, Florida on Monday, June 3, 2019
For more on these feel-good stories and to see other stories that highlight the good news in Central Florida, watch News 6 at Nine on Wednesdays, starting at 9 a.m.