Margate Fire Department ALS Team Earns State, International Recognition

by David Volz July 3, 2026

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Sierra Leon-JarJoura and Joseph Padilla, members of the Margate ALS team. Not pictured is Lt. Yoana Batista. {David Volz}

The Margate Fire Department Advanced Life Support (ALS) team is an up-and-coming force in the Florida Cup competition.

Over the past year, the Margate ALS team participated in nine competitions across the state and finished second in the Florida Cup. In early June, the team participated in the First There First Care Conference and Gathering of Eagles and finished third out of about 20 teams.

In November 2025, the ALS team participated in an international competition in Croatia with about 70 teams and earned third place in complex trauma and fifth place overall, according to Sierra Leon-JarJoura, firefighter paramedic and team captain.

“We are evaluated on how we assess patients, our skill sets, clinical knowledge, critical thinking, scene command, and crowd control. During the competitions, we are often faced with situations where we are overwhelmed,” said Leon-JarJoura.

A situation might involve several injured people on a cruise ship, a car crash involving multiple severe injuries, or a crisis in a home. The competition’s leaders create complex situations to test firefighters’ skills, according to Leon-JarJoura.

Firefighter Joseph Padilla, a new team member, is proud of the ALS team’s work and looks forward to upcoming events. “It is all friendly competition, but we want to be the best. We have trained with Tamarac and the Broward Sheriff’s Office, and we all want to get better,” said Padilla.

Assistant Fire Chief Matthew Whiteshield, who leads EMS for the Margate Fire Department, said he is proud of the ALS team. “They are amazing, and by training for and participating in the competitions, they are improving and can serve the residents of Margate better,” he said.

The Margate ALS team includes three members: Leon-JarJoura, Padilla, and Lt. Yoana Batista.

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Author Profile

David Volz

David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.