June 11 -- St. Johns County Fire Rescue leadership recently briefed county commissioners on current and anticipated staffing, facilities and personnel needs related to the exponential growth of the county.
Jeff Prevatt, interim chief, said more people means increased demand for effective emergency services across larger areas of development.
Three new fire stations have been constructed over the last decade. Additionally, a combined Fire Station 5 and 11, which will also house the Sheriff's Office South Regional Command Center, is currently under construction on U.S. 1 South.
But there's more to be done.
Station 19 in the northwest region, at Veterans Parkway and Race Track Road, would serve Julington Creek, Aberdeen, Durbin Crossing and Durbin Park Town Center, and cover a big gap in the middle of that area. There are currently funds approved by the board for architecture and civil design already underway.
Prevatt said design work should wrap up this year and construction is estimated to be $3.5 million, which would come from impact fees. It will likely take grant funding to cover initial staffing costs.
He said construction of Station 19 is currently the highest priority project.
Station 20 in the southwest region, west of Interstate-95 on State Road 207 in a location to be determined, would serve Elkton, Spuds and Vermont Heights and the surroundings, filling in a large gap between Hastings and St. Augustine. Fire rescue is only in the preliminary planning stages for this station as it does not have property to work with yet.
Prevatt said construction costs are yet to be determined and grant funding, again, would likely be used to cover operational startup costs.
Station 7 in St. Augustine Beach, constructed in 1968, is inadequate for current staffing and equipment while also being vulnerable to storm surge. The 2,600 square foot facility houses five firefighters and 60 seasonal lifeguards and the station must sometimes borrow equipment from other stations.
Prevatt said it could possibly be relocated to the recently-purchased mosquito control property on Pope Road.
Staffing needs
The board unanimously approved submitting an application for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency on behalf of Fire Rescue, and to send a letter of support.
"St. Johns County is currently experiencing a level of growth that is impacting service levels faster than existing taxing revenue can provide," the letter says. "This is especially true in the north central and north eastern portion of the community. Exponential growth is occurring in this area continues to place St. Johns County in the top counties nationwide for population growth."
Prevatt said the SAFER grant would help fund nine positions to be put in the north central area of the county in order to respond to "rapid growth."
The grant would cover 75 percent of the costs the first two years and 35 percent the third year, after which the county would have to start picking up the tab in full.
As the letter says, a SAFER grant would allow the county to comply with emergency services regulations, improve firefighter safety and improve emergency response times. Due to the county's current budgetary constraints, adding staff where it's needed without grant support would have implications for response times out of other stations.
The letter says the board is committed to maintaining firefighter staffing levels and incurring no layoffs during the period of performance if awarded a SAFER grant.
"Additionally, St. Johns County has a plan that will address the funding requirements to retain firefighter positions made possible by the SAFER grant," the letter continues.
Prevatt said he would expect to hear back on the grant by late summer or early fall, subject to final approval by the board.
County Administrator Michael Wanchick told commissioners if they chose not to move forward with applying for the grant, the county would eventually have to come with a budget request for most or all of the nine positions anyway.
"This is an attempt to get the federal government, under their program, to pick up the first roughly two and a half years," he said.
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