Local Realtors Thank First Responders with Pies and Gift Cards

A local real estate group and a private foundation visited Key West public safety personnel on November 19, 2025 to show appreciation for first responders. Representatives from Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Keys Real Estate Knight and Gardner Realty and the Edward B. Knight Foundation brought pies and gift cards to officers at the Key West Police Department and to crews at Key West Fire and Rescue. The outreach was presented as a holiday season thank you to staff working across a range of shifts and duties.

The effort was organized to make distribution easier for personnel working variable hours, after the organizers decided to replace an initial plan to bring turkeys with gift cards and pies. The visit was acknowledged by the Key West Police Department and shared through local channels, underscoring the daily reliance Monroe County residents place on emergency responders.

Though modest in scale, the visit speaks to broader public health and community concerns. First responders face long hours, unpredictable calls, and repeated exposure to traumatic events, all of which affect mental health and job retention. Community gestures of appreciation can provide short term morale boosts, but public health experts say sustained investment is needed in counseling services, staffing, and workplace safety to reduce burnout and preserve emergency response capacity for an aging and tourism reliant county.

Monroe County residents, many of whom depend on timely emergency services amid increased seasonal visitor populations, have an interest in the stability and well being of police and fire personnel. Local philanthropic support and business driven acts of gratitude highlight gaps where county and state policy could do more. Longer term solutions include expanded access to mental health care for first responders, structured peer support programs, targeted funding to address staffing shortages, and equitable compensation that reflects the risks and community demands placed on emergency workers.

The collaboration between local businesses and a foundation also illustrates how private resources can complement public services. Community groups and businesses often step in to provide meals, gift cards, and supplies, especially during holiday periods when shifted staffing makes standard distributions difficult. However these partnerships are not substitutes for systemic changes that ensure all frontline workers receive consistent benefits and protections year round.

As winter travel and tourism increase demands in Key West and throughout Monroe County, the need to support first responders remains urgent. Small acts of thanks can foster community relations and public appreciation, and they can also build momentum for broader conversations about funding, mental health care, and equitable policies that keep both residents and visitors safe.