Welcome to the Dorcas Fire District, a dependent special district of the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners.
The Dorcas Fire District (District) was originally an independent special fire control district created by local ordinance in 1984 and codified by a special act in 2005. Through the years, the District has provided volunteer fire and rescue support to the citizens within its jurisdiction, as well as neighboring jurisdictions through mutual aid. The District has traditionally been governed by a five-member elected board of fire commissioners as required of independent fire control districts by Florida Statute.
In 2024, State Representative Patt Maney introduced legislation to convert the Dorcas Fire District from its previous independent status to a dependent special district of the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners. This legislation would later become identified as House Bill 2024-897. This action ensured that the District would be best positioned to serve the citizens of Dorcas and, through mutual aid the north end of Okaloosa County, by providing robust oversight and Florida statute-compliant administrative and resource management. Part of that legislation-required oversight included that the previously-elected Dorcas Fire Board be dissolved in favor of governance by the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners, who may continue to govern the District or appoint a dependent Board of Dorcas Fire Commissioners as the District is re-formed.
Dorcas Fire District will ultimately operate out of the two existing fire stations previously maintained by the District- Station 41 at 4418 Poverty Creek Rd., and Station 42 at 5232 Deer Springs Dr. The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners is currently in the process of refurbishing the fire stations, fire protection apparatus and equipment and evaluating the current and future needs of the District. During the interim period, the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners took immediate action to ensure that fire and rescue services were not interrupted. An Interlocal Agreement was executed with three outstanding neighboring Fire Districts to answer calls for service in the Dorcas coverage area by dividing the run zones into three areas of responsibility, with medical support from an additional, dedicated Okaloosa County EMS asset:
· 40N: Covered by Almarante Fire District- extending from South of Almarante Fire District’s existing territory South of the Shoal River, East of North Okaloosa Fire District’s jurisdiction to the Walton County line.
· 40S: Covered by North Okaloosa Fire District- extending from North Okaloosa Fire District’s existing territory East to the Walton County line, South of the Shoal River, North of Eglin Air Force Base.
· 40IE: Covered by Crestview Fire Department- the entire I-10 corridor from Holt to the Walton County line.
· Okaloosa County EMS shall respond to medical-only calls without automatic aid from the fire services included in this agreement in Dorcas Fire District territory. Fire service response may be requested when no EMS units or the additional QRV are available, or as determined by established criteria agreed upon by the parties separately.
The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners will serve as the District’s Fire Board unless and until a decision is made to appoint dependent board members. Fire Board meetings will occur as part of the Regular BCC meetings as necessary.
We look forward to serving the citizens of Dorcas in this new role and are excited about the future of this partnership.
