3/29/18 @ 11:00 a.m. - This morning, representatives of the City of Fernandina Beach and Nassau County gathered to present a check totaling $4,158.09 to the United Way of Northeast Florida for money raised at the Guns and Hoses Event held on January 27, 2018. The event featured a variety of kid friendly activities and softball games played by employees of Nassau County Fire Rescue, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office, the City of Fernandina Beach Police Department, and the City of Fernandina Beach Fire Department.

NCSO and NCFR faced off in the championship game, however it was NCFR who pulled off the victory with a final score of 10-9. During the presentation this morning, Nassau County Sheriff, Bill Leeper, presented the championship trophy to Nassau County Fire Chief, Brady Rigdon.

Corporate Engagement Manager for the United Way, Mark Mitchell,  was in attendance and expressed his gratitude to all the event organizers and to the public safety personnel for the job they do every day protecting the community.

Event sponsors were also invited to attend the presentation, however not all of them could be there. Thank you again to the following for their support:

• Townies
• Matovina & Company
• Johnny's AC
• Sliders Seaside Grill
• Madi's Retreat Hair & Spa
• 801 Kitchen and Bar
• Skydive Amelia Island
• Wildlight
• Florida Public Utilities
• R.P.M. Lumber
• Amelia Island Kayak Excursions
• CDM Smith, Inc.
• First Coast Fabrication
• Justin M. Taylor, County Commissioner for District 5
• Fernandina Chiropractic Center
• A.J. Johns, Inc.
• Rayonier
• CBC National Bank
• Vystar
• Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
• Dale Martin, City Manager for Fernandina Beach
• What's Smokin Food Truck
• Indulge Food Truck

Here's a link to a video of the event for those that missed it. We are already looking forward to next year's event and to the County winning the championship trophy again!

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/14/18 @ 4:50 p.m. - The evacuation order for Courtney Isles has now been lifted. The Division of Forestry and Nassau County Fire Rescue are working to contain the fire. It was initially about 8 acres (scattered). The cause was a spark from a passing train. The only structure damage was to a shed on Pages Dairy next to the tracks.

Chester Road and Pages Dairy is still closed at this time while crews work to contain the rest of the fire.

If you have questions, please note you can call Emergency Management at (904) 548-0900. If you haven't already, you should also sign up for EverBridge notification alerts so you can receive current news via phone call, text, or email.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/14/18 @ 4:15 p.m. - A large brush fire has been reported in the area of Chester Rd and Pages Dairy Rd. Residents at the apartments at Courtney Isles Way have been issued a MANDATORY EVACUATION order as of 3:42PM.

​More to follow.

1/9/18 @ 11:10 a.m. - A portion of State Road 200 near US 17 was temporarily closed this morning due to a military ordnance being uncovered by a construction crew. Crews were able to remove this item without incident and the road has been re-opened. It has not yet been confirmed exactly what this item was, however the King's Bay Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team safety took the item away.

Great job to the Nassau County Sheriff's Office, Nassau County Fire/Rescue's SHOT Team, and Kings Bay's EOD Team for their quick response and for ensuring that our citizens were kept safe!

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

9/14/17 @ 3:30 p.m.. - Thank you to all the residents who have taken the time to send nice notes to our public safety personnel letting them know their tieless efforts are appreciated.

-Sabrina Robertson
​ County Manager's Office

8/29/17 @ 11:30 a.m. - For the past 12 years, Nassau County Firefighters have participated in the Muscular Dystrophy Association's annual Fill the Boot Campaign to help raise money and awareness in the fight against Muscular Dystrophy. Since then, more than $366,530 has been raised by local firefighters who selflessly give their time and energy for the MDA.

This year's Fill the Boot event will take place September 1-4, 2017. To kick off the event, MDA's ambassador, Ben, was escorted around to all the County fire stations with George Faucher, Engineer for Nassau County Fire Rescue. Ben was able to climb aboard fire engines and was able to meet dozens of our local heroes, including Nassau County Fire Chef, Brady Rigdon! To finish his day, Ben attended the Board of County Commissioner's meeting and was presented with a Resolution proclaiming Sept. 1-4, 2017 as "Fill the Boot Days". To watch this heartwarming event, please visit the County's website. Once there, click on the video link for the August 28, 2017 Board of County Commissioner's meeting.

We urge all Nassau County residents to help fill the boot this Labor Day weekend and to join Nassau County in the fight against muscular dystrophy!

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/28/17 @ 10:15 a.m. - Did you know that the several departments under the Board of County Commissioners provide monthly status updates on activities that were completed the previous month, as well as a timeline of ongoing projects? For example, in the below report for Public Works, the Board was provided information on active projects such as the Pages Dairy/Chester Road Intersection Project, resurfacing and widening of CR 115, the paving of Crawford Road, the resurfacing of Andrews Road and Thomas Creek Road, as well as many other projects currently underway and a list of recently completed projects.

Below you can also find the most recent reports from the Building Department/Code Enforcement, the County Extension Office, Facilities Maintenance, Nassau County Fire/Rescue, and the Library. These reports are submitted to the Board at their monthly day meeting which falls on the third Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. In lieu of having to locate the appropriate agenda to find the monthly reports, we will begin posting them here for your information.

August Status Reports:
Building Department/Code Enforcement
County Extension
Facilities Maintenance
Fire/Rescue
Library
Public Works

If you have any questions about these reports, please contact those departments directly. Their contact information can be located on the County's website under the "Departments" tab.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office  

6/26/17 @ 3:20 p.m. -  Chief Brady Rigdon began his employment as Nassau County Fire Chief today. Chief Rigdon brings with him 26 years of experience, as well as numerous degrees and certifications in fire technology, emergency medical services and public administration. For more information on Chief Rigdon's background, please read the original story we shared regarding him being selected as Fire Chief on June 6, 2017.

We are certain that Chief Ridgon has the skills and experience necessary to effectively manage Nassau County Fire/Rescue and we are excited to have him on our team.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

6/6/17 @ 8:20 a.m. - Late yesterday afternoon, Brady Rigdon accepted the position as Fire Chief. Mr. Rigdon began his career as a Firefighter/EMT with the City of Jacksonville in 1991 and moved his way through the ranks, achieving the job as the Division Chief of Operations in 2006. He retired after 26 years of service in April 2017. He has also been serving as the Procurement Manager for the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation since November 2013.

Mr. Rigdon's education and employment background made him an excellent candidate for the position. He has numerous degrees including an Associate in Arts Degree from FSCJ, an Associate in Science in Fire Technology Degree from FSCJ, an Associate in Science in Emergency Medical Services Degree from FSCJ, a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from Flagler College, and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of North Florida.

An official start date will be determined following a routine background check, drug screen and physical. We are happy that Mr. Rigdon has accepted this offer and we look forward to working with him.

If you have any questions, please contact Nassau County Human Resources at (904) 530-6075.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

5/30/17 @ 9:30 a.m. - The last Burn Ban issued on May 22, 2017, has expired. Citizens are now able to burn yard debris such as grass clippings, brush, leaves, limbs, and any other related item resulted from yard maintenance.

According to the Florida Department of Agriculture, yard debris can be burned under the following conditions:

• You must meet the required setbacks as depicted in the photo below
• The yard waste was generated on your property
• The yard waste must fit into an 8 foot diameter pile or non-combustible container
• The fire should be ignited after 9:00 a.m. (eastern time) and must be extinguished one hour before sunset

Outdoor Burning Tips

• Avoid burning on dry, windy days
• Burn small piles, gradually adding to the fire as it burns down
• Clear all dry grass and weeds from around your pile or burn barrel
• Cover a non-combustible container with wire mesh to keep sparks from flying out
• Have a water, rake and shovel handy
• Check with Nassau County Fire/Rescue to insure there are no restrictions in place. They can be reached at (904) 530-6600.

Large Burn Piles
Piles greater than 8 feet in diameter will require:

• An authorization from the Florida Forest Service
• Suppression equipment on hand
• Additional setback requirements

For additional info, please visit the Florida Department of Agriculture website.

Please note it is ALWAYS ILLEGAL to burn household garbage including paper products, treated lumber, plastics, rubber materials, tires, pesticides, paint and aerosol containers.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office