Commissioner Ashley Hofberger presented an ambitious plan to the Escambia County Board of Commissioners to utilize approximately $34 million in unallocated LOST (Local Option Sales Tax) dollars to build new fire stations and enhance fire protection services throughout the county.
- The proposal aims to address aging infrastructure and help residents who are facing higher homeowner insurance rates due to being located more than five miles from a fire station.
“I would like to ask the board to consider spending that on making sure that everyone in our community receives the fire services that they need and that the people who have been impacted in our community with higher homeowners insurance because of stations moving or closing, that we can help alleviate some of that,” said Commissioner Hofberger during her presentation.
Priority Stations Identified
Working with Escambia County Fire Chief Adam Harrison, Hofberger identified five priority locations for new or replacement fire stations:
1. Replacement of the station on Lillian Highway
2. New station at Highway 97 and Kingsfield Road
3. Paradise Beach, where a recently closed station has led to higher insurance rates
4. Gulf Beach Highway, where the current station is outdated and needs significant rehabilitation
5. White Ash Road, which currently only houses trucks and is staffed by volunteer firefighters
The estimated cost for all five stations is approximately $34 million, with each station costing around $6.8 million. The proposal considers Florida Building Code standards and national guidelines for firefighter facilities.
Commissioners Express Strong Support
Commission Chairman Mike Kohler expressed his support for the proposal, stating, “I believe public safety is probably our premier job, our first priority other than EMS and the sheriff’s department as well.” He noted that the three fire stations in his district are “30 years outdated” and in “desperate need” of upgrades.
Commissioner Lumon May agreed about the importance of public safety but emphasized the need for a more comprehensive approach. “I could be supportive of doing this and looking at this, but I’d like to look at it holistically,” said May. He advocated for including a regional firefighter training center that could generate revenue. The commissioner has the board to consider areas with the highest medical needs for advanced life support services.
“I probably have the highest rate of strokes, heart attacks and health issues,” May said of District 3. “I’d like to look at those numbers and look at how many calls we do have there versus the calls that we have in the outline areas.”
Commissioner Steven Barry also supported the proposal. “I’m very familiar with the two areas that are highlighted in the constituency that I have,” said Barry. While noting that the timeline was “very aggressive,” he added that “if the gist of it is you’re looking for general levels of support and the opportunity to move the ideas or combined ideas forward, I’m good with that.”
Commissioner Steve Stroberger said, “I’m in support of this and I’m in support of the timeline. I’m in support of expediting the whole thing, everything.
He passionately advocated for a fire station in Paradise Beach. “I’m very, very fortunate. I live three miles from a firehouse, and there’s two of them very close to my house,” Stroberger said. He highlighted how not having a firehouse in Paradise Beach affects approximately 3,000 homes, with some residents seeing insurance rates increase by as much as 350%.
“A friend of mine, Gil, was there at the town hall and he talked about his insurance rates going up from roughly $2,055 to $6,000 a year,” Stroberger noted. “I don’t know why we’ve neglected it this long, but it’s time to not do that.”
He expressed his gratitude to Hofberger for taking on the fire safety issue. “When I met Gil, it became a priority for me. And I don’t know—maybe I got wrapped up in this job and didn’t focus on it as much as I should have. I’m glad Commissioner Hoffberger has, and I’m laser-focused on it, too.”
Commissioner Kohler explained that the issue in building a fire station at Paradise Beach was having the Navy donate land for it.
“Commissioner Bergosh was here when I first got on board, and he asked me to go talk to the Navy about that land. And the Navy’s committed to give us that land, and it’s going to happen,” he said. “I know that it’s taken longer than it should. I just think we should give the Navy a thank you for actually giving us that property.”
Training Center Proposal Gains Traction
During the discussion, Chief Harrison shared his vision for a comprehensive training facility. “We get one shot when we go to an emergency, there’s no redo, there’s no do over, let’s try again. It’s one shot,” explained Chief Harrison, emphasizing the importance of proper training for emergency responders.
The proposed training center would include a multi-story building for high-rise operations practice, a residential building for standard dwelling response training, hazardous materials facilities, and special operations areas for simulating building collapses and confined space rescues.
Chief Harrison also highlighted the success of their recent fire academy, which had a 100% success rate compared to the typical 30-40% attrition rate at other academies. “We feel by having and teaching our own people, we’re able to put everything that we want into them,” he said.
Next Steps
Commissioner Hofberger proposed using a progressive design and build contract, which she suggested could reduce change orders and bring projects under budget. Her proposed timeline includes issuing an RFP by June 1, evaluating proposals by August 1, and breaking ground by March 1 of next year.
County Administrator Wes Moreno confirmed that the county could financially support the proposed projects if directed by the board.
As the discussion concluded, the commissioners agreed to work together to finalize details and move forward with enhancing fire protection throughout Escambia County, with particular attention to addressing infrastructure needs and training capabilities to ensure the highest level of public safety for all residents.
The Committee of the Whole is a workshop setting that allows commissioners to discuss issues. However, the final plan will need to be approved officially at a Board of County Commissioners meeting.