The Key West City Commission and Mayor Teri Johnston took the opportunity to commend Key West Fire Captain Jason Barroso for heading up the Herculean task of replacing the burned-down home of Ms. Alelia Butler.
After the Galveston Lane fire nearly two years ago, Captain Barroso pulled together a team of off-duty firefighters, businesses, builders, and designers. The entire community pulled together to build Ms. Butler a new home, which she moved into on December 22, 2021. The community donated money, manpower, building supplies, and even furniture.
Captain Barroso, with the Key West Fire Department, and more than 60 community businesses and individual volunteers presented Ms. Butler with the Certificate of Occupancy for her new home before Christmas.
The new home is the result of an extraordinary outpouring of generous donations of time, materials, and effort by the entire Key West community, and many agree that it would not have happened without the leadership and pure dedication of Captain Barroso.
"I can't tell you how grateful and thankful I am," said Captain Barroso. "It was an incredible community and team effort. We're very blessed to have such a beautiful community on this island."
"Now, therefore," reads the commendation, "the City Commission of the City of Key West does hereby recognize Captain Jason Barroso and the Key West Fire Department for tremendous leadership and commitment to the safety and comfort of the Butler family and the citizens of Key West."
In the photo: Commissioners Gregory Davila, Jimmy Weekley, Mary Lou Hoover, Mayor Teri Johnston, Captain Jason Barroso, Ms. Alelia Butler, Fire Chief Alan Averette, Vice-Mayor Sam Kaufman, Commissioners Clayton Lopez, and Billy Wardlow.