Florida
Florida’s first injured K9 air medical transport program launched by Tampa General Aeromed
TAMPA, Fla. – For the first time in Florida, life-saving air medical care is available not just for people, but for K9s injured in the line of duty.
Through a new partnership between Tampa General Hospital’s Aeromed team and veterinary specialists in Manatee County, injured K9s can now receive advanced trauma care during helicopter transport, dramatically cutting down response times when every second counts.
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What we know:
The Aeromed team at Tampa General Hospital is now trained and equipped to treat and transport injured law enforcement K9s by air. The program makes TGH the first in Florida, and the fourth in the nation, to offer this level of pre-hospital emergency care for police dogs.
Specialized K9 medical kits are now stored on each Aeromed helicopter. Flight nurses and paramedics have also trained law enforcement officers, fire rescue crews and EMS personnel across multiple counties in canine life support.
The partnership includes the Veterinary Medical Center at Lakewood Ranch, where critically injured K9s can be transported for advanced care.
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The backstory:
The effort began after a K9 in Highlands County was seriously injured during a mission. With no veterinarian immediately available, deputies had to drive the dog nearly 50 minutes to Polk County for treatment.
Flight nurse Donny Richardson with Tampa General Hospital realized there was a major gap in emergency care for law enforcement K9s. While military working dogs have established trauma protocols, similar pre-hospital systems did not exist in the civilian world until recently.
Richardson sought out training through Tampa Fire Rescue at MacDill Air Force Base and began building a civilian K9 trauma response program from the ground up.
How does the program work?
Training includes the use of a highly advanced canine medical simulator named “Hero,” a $33,000 trainer modeled after U.S. military K9 Astra, who served in Afghanistan. The simulator can bleed, breathe and replicate traumatic injuries, allowing crews to practice advanced treatment techniques.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
According to Richardson, the philosophy is simple: A heart is a heart, whether human or canine.
Since launching the initiative, the Aeromed team has:
- Trained TGH Aeromed staff in Hillsborough, Highlands, Polk and Charlotte counties.
- Certified about half a dozen fire rescue agencies in the state.
- Certified 20 sheriff’s offices across Florida.
The program also includes the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
Last month, their skills were put to the test through the Manatee County Sheriff’s Offices Mass Casualty Incident Drill. The TGH Aeromed helicopter was staged at Mosquito Control. East Manatee Fire Rescue coordinated the flight takeoff and landing.
“We gave one of the deputies the simulator and the aircraft came, and he came running out with that simulator in both hands,” TGH Aeromed Flight Paramedic James Hutson said. “Our crews had no idea the receiving hospital had no idea. Everybody thought this was a Life Flight.”
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Why you should care:
Law enforcement K9s are often deployed into high-risk situations, from suspect apprehensions to narcotics detection and search operations. In trauma cases, minutes can determine survival.
With helicopter transport and advanced life support on board, response times that once took nearly an hour by patrol car can now be reduced to minutes.
Dr. Devon Diaz, a critical care specialist at the Veterinary Medical Center at Lakewood Ranch, called the partnership “amazing,” saying it allows injured K9s to receive advanced treatment faster than ever before.
The center is one of only three VEX-certified emergency and critical care facilities in Florida.
What’s next:
The TGH team plans to continue training agencies across the state and expand instruction beyond Florida, with upcoming training sessions scheduled in Kentucky. Diaz is also helping advance trauma standards nationwide through the rollout of the Veterinary Advanced Trauma Life Support (VetATLS) course later this year.
The Source: This story is based on reporting from a multi-agency mass casualty drill in Manatee County, along with interviews conducted by FOX 13 News with flight nurse Donny Richardson, flight paramedic James Hutson of Tampa General Hospital Aeromed, and Dr. Devon Diaz of the Veterinary Medical Center at Lakewood Ranch.
Brevard County couple gets married in NICU after birth of premature twins
A Florida couple, told they may not be able to have children, welcomed premature twins and had an impromptu NICU wedding.
Provided by AdventHealth for Children
Ben and Danielle Cassidy were told they likely wouldn’t be able to have children.
But this year they will celebrate Mother’s Day just months after having an impromptu wedding in the AdventHealth for Children hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit shortly after Danielle gave birth to twins prematurely — a week before the Palm Bay couple was scheduled to get married.
Both babies, Joshua and Rhett, are doing well despite arriving nine weeks ahead of schedule on Jan. 19, 2026, just one day after their scheduled baby shower. With a proper wedding out of the question with two premature babies in the NICU, a nurse took action.
Issabel Kenkel, the nurse behind the ceremony, said she was already in wedding planning mode for her own upcoming nuptials when she found out the Cassidy family’s ceremony would be interrupted.
“I couldn’t just let them do something small. They needed decorations and something fun, so I spoke to the music therapist and the chaplain,” Kenkel said. In short order, a wedding was being planned for their hospital room and the couple was saying their vows in the company of their safely delivered newborns.
“When we found out we could request staff members to be on our team, that’s when we requested Issabel and having that kind of consistency from someone who has such a big heart and is so kind,” Danielle said.
The hospital ceremony was all the more special because of the Cassidy family’s own health struggles.
“I have five autoimmune diseases and didn’t really think I would have kids. It’s been a rough journey. When Ben and I met, we were floored at how much a miracle it was to have kids,” Danielle said.
Ben, who battled and beat cancer, said he was worried that his prior treatment would result in negative health outcomes for his future children. Having twins for him was an unexpected blessing.
“When we found out we were pregnant, we found it so shocking. We said, wouldn’t it be great if it was twins? It filled out our hopes and dreams list,” Ben said. “They’ve been miracles for sure.”
The Cassidy couple said there was so much fear and uncertainty when their twins were born nine weeks early. Being able to get married right away just made them feel all the better about the future.
“It was nice getting married because we didn’t have to wait any longer to make it official. It made it that much harder for her to get rid of me,” Ben said.
“The unknown made it scary,” Danielle added. “We had no idea how long we would be in the hospital. Our wedding was going to be at the beach with immediate family and parents. Having NICU babies, we realized we’d never be able to get to the beach. It was really special having the people who care for our babies be part of the ceremony.”
The couple hadn’t even planned to have a band at their wedding ceremony and now the hospital’s music therapist was performing live for them and the chaplain was conducting the ceremony, something nurse Kenkel said was just part of her job.
“The babies are going to have the best outcomes if the families are taken care of and going home happy,” she said. “Being in the NICU is already so stressful. This is just one more thing I could do to take care of my patients.”
Tyler Vazquez is the Growth and Development Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com. X: @tyler_vazquez.
The Vero Beach Police Department took a man into custody May 8 in connection with a threatening phone call directed toward a business.
The agency received information at 5:21 p.m. May 7 about a threatening call to Thrive IRC Inc. at 2300 5th Ave. in Vero Beach, according to a news release. The call included someone threatening to come to the business with an AK rifle and “light the building up.”
Detectives began investigating the threat and identified Michael Sean O’Brien, 27, of Vero Beach, as the person associated with the phone number used during the call.
O’Brien was taken into custody at about 3:30 p.m. May 8 without incident. He was charged with the false report concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner, which is a second degree felony, according to the news release.
O’Brien was booked in the Indian River County Jail at 6:13 p.m. May 8 but was released at 1:36 p.m. May 9 after posting the $5,000 bond, according to the jail website.
No additional information was available the afternoon of May 9.
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
Charmaine Hickey, of Lang Realty in Port St. Lucie, was named in KNOW Women’s “100 Women to KNOW in America” list.
A Treasure Coast woman was named in a “100 Women to know in America” list for 2026.
KNOW Women is a global media company dedicated to giving women leaders connections and visibility. The company released a list of “100 Women to know in America” for 2026 to highlight the most influential women in business and leadership.
Charmaine Hickey, who works for Lang Realty in Port St. Lucie, was on the list.
“Charmaine’s recognition on a national stage like this comes as no surprise,” said Scott Agran, president of Lang Realty in a news release. “Her leadership, integrity, and commitment to both her profession and her community exemplify what this award stands for. She represents the very best of our industry.”
Hickey holds many industry designations and is known for her expertise in complex real estate transactions, as well as her client-first approach defined by honesty, patience and attention to detail, according to the news release.
Her community involvement includes serving on nonprofit boards, mentoring emerging leaders and supporting initiatives focused on education, women, families and youth.
“I am truly honored to be recognized among such an inspiring group of women,” said Hickey in the news release. “This award reflects not just individual achievement, but the power of community, mentorship, and lifting others as we grow. I’m grateful to be part of a network of women who are building meaningful impact every day.”
To see the full list go to theknowwomen.com.
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
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