by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
Six surplus rescue vehicles that probably would have been cannibalized or sold for scrap are headed to the Dominican Republic, where they will be the first units to serve a country of 8 million.
The gift was made possible by legislation proposed by City Council member Sharon Copeland. The vote on her measure was approved 19-0 in November.
Copeland was made aware of the need when she met Dr. Vicente Rodriguez, vice consul of the Dominican Republic in Miami, at a gathering put together by Florida Coastal School of Law Chancellor Don Lively.
Rodriguez explained “the dire situation the Dominican Republic was in,” she said. There were no takers in surrounding counties or around the state for the City’s surplus equipment, some of which dated to 1992.
Copeland’s proposal was already in the works when she and her husband went on vacation in October to the Dominican Republic.
“He developed heart problems, and they don’t have 911,” said Copeland. “We couldn’t call for someone to come help. We had to depend on the hotel for transportation to the hospital.
“It really drove home the fact that they have a serious need. It’s really exciting for all of us to be able to reach out to people in such need.”
Not only has the City donated the rescue units, but the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Squad will provide some training, said Rodriguez.
Coastal Maritime is shipping the six vehicles for free.
“We don’t have fire and rescue service; we are only starting to do some rescue service,” said Rodriguez, a plastic surgeon who lives in Miami. “You can’t believe it, but it’s true.”
There are nearly 8 million people in the Dominican Republic. About 2 million live in the capital, Santo Domingo.
Before going to a press conference Wednesday at Blount Island, Rodriguez stopped at Florida Coastal School of Law with Miguel Ferry, a freight-forward consultant. He was to meet with Jaxport officials to establish business connections between Jacksonville and Santo Domingo.
“All this was an upshot of the law school and Chancellor Lively’s friendship with Dr. Rodriguez, which came when he asked him to speak to the Northeast Florida International Summit this summer,” said Eric Smith, executive director of the Center for Strategic Governance and International Initiatives at the school. “We featured the Dominican Republic at that summit.
“Now, we are probably going to be doing more business than ever through Jacksonville with the Dominican Republic. We don’t just have an international summit. We want things to happen.”