8/22/23 @ 4:45 p.m.- In case you missed it!

At the July 24, 2023 meeting, the Board of County Commissioners awarded bids for construction of two new fire stations. 

New Fire Station 70 will be constructed at a new location on Old Nassauville Road and will replace the structure currently be used on State Road 200, near Old Nassauville Road. 

New Fire Station 90 will be constructed on SR 2 where the current station sits. However the current station consists of a trailer retrofitted to fit NCFR's needs. The new station will replace the trailer structure and provide a new, state-of-art facility that will serve the residents for many years to come. 

Construction bids for both stations were awarded to ACON Construction, Co. Both stations will look just like our newest station, Station 71, built on Chester Road. Station 70 will feature 3 bays and Station 90 will feature 4 bays. Each will house an engine, rescue unit, and tanker. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

8/21/23 @ 11:45 a.m. - This morning at approximately 10:00 a.m., Engineer Rob Hutchison visited the James S. Page Governmental Complex to sign his paperwork, officially retiring from Nassau County Fire Rescue after more than 26 years of service. 

Fire Chief Brady Rigdon, Assistant Fire Chief Greg Roland, and colleagues from NCFR Station 70 surprised Eng. Hutchison by greeting him at exit of the James Page Building. A few tears were shed as each took turns shaking Eng. Hutchison's hand and wishing him well on his retirement. They even called his name over the radio one last time, announcing that his "assignment is now complete". (see video below) 

Best wishes to Engineer Hutchison as he enters this next phase of his life. We here at Nassau County will miss him greatly and will always appreciate his service and dedication to the community. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

8/11/23 @ 1:30 p.m. - This morning at approximately 7:00 a.m., Nassau County Fire Rescue was dispatched to the south end of the island to check for a paddler-boarder that hadn't been seen for over an hour. Captain Ben Salter accessed the roof at the OMNI Amelia Island Plantation to see if he could locate him. Fortunately, Captain Salter spotted him about 2 miles off shore.

Nassau County Fire Rescue deployed its rescue boat and was able to rescue the paddler-boarder and returned him safely to shore. It turns out that he had run out of energy and was ultimately carried carried away by the current.

Great job to everyone involved in this rescue, especially to Captain Salter for his quick thinking in accessing the roof for a better view. 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

8/7/23 @ 4:50 p.m. - Project Opioid Jax, Callahan First Baptist Church, LSF Health Systems, Community Coalition Alliance and the Nassau County Coalition for Community Health have partnered to bring an Overdose Awareness Seminar which will discuss the overdose crisis in Nassau County and what we can all do to help.

The event will take place on Thursday, August 31st from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at the Callahan Baptist Church located at 45090 Green Avenue. Guest speakers include Undersheriff, Jon Hooper; Nassau County's Assistant Fire Chief, Greg Roland; Dr. Scott Miles of Coast Community Health; and Nassau County School Superintendent, Dr. Kathy Burns. There is no cost to participate, however registration is required. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer 

7/15/23 @ 9:00 a.m. - Nassau County Fire Rescue and Nassau County Animal Services have partnered to raise awareness about some of the wonderful cats and dogs available for adoption. On Friday, July 14th, we visited Station 20 on Amelia Island. Below are some photos of the rescue personnel showing the pets some love. 

Stay tuned for future editions of our Rescuers for Rescues campaign. 

If you are interested in adopting a pet, please visit Nassau County Animal Services located at 86078 License Road (across from Target). They are open to the public on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11am-4pm; on Wednesdays from 1pm-6pm; and Saturday and Sunday from 11am-4pm. The shelter is closed to the public on Mondays.

If you have any questions, you can reach Animal Services at (904) 530-6150.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

5/4/23 @ 1:30 p.m. - Happy International Firefighters' Day to brave men and women in Nassau County Fire Rescue, the Fernandina Beach Fire Department and the volunteer fire departments. Thank you for all you do to protect Nassau County's residents and property.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer 

4/27/23 @ 10:15 a.m. - Today, we would also like to congratulate a second employee, Engineer Greg Jones, on being selected for the News-leader and Nassau County Record's "40 Over 40" award. 

Greg has worked for Nassau County Fire Rescue as a Firefighter/Paramedic since April 1994 and is currently serving as an Engineer at Station 40. In addition to responding to medical and fire calls, Greg serves on the Peer Support Team providing a variety of services to his colleagues including emotional support, action planning, directing them in self-care methods to address any concerns they are experiencing, and by just being a good listener. Greg also serves as the department's Chaplain and provides support for those in Fire/Rescue that have been affected by an emergency crisis. 

We appreciate Greg for all he does for Nassau County, its employees, and our residents. He is an outstanding employee who goes above and beyond to help someone in need and we are so proud to have him on our team. 

For those that are interested, below is a copy of the newspaper article with a Q&A with Greg. 

​-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

4/21/23 @ 5:00 p.m. - Below is an update on the Bryceville Fire from the 4:00 pm briefing. 

• Fortunately, fire activity was minimal today and great progress was made
• It will probably be another day or two before we have the final count on acres burned but it is still believed to be around 1600 acres 
• The Division of Forestry will be deploying strike teams tomorrow and through the weekend to address hot spots
• NCFR will provide supplemental tanker trucks to support operations through the remainder of the incident  
• Roads have been reopened. However, NCSO will be patrolling through the evening. If the smoke settles back in and visibility is compromised then road closures will be reinstated as needed   

​
-Sabrina Robertson 
 Public Information Officer

4/21/23 @ 10:00 a.m. - First responders have been fighting a brush fire in Bryceville since yesterday afternoon. The Florida Forest Service is the lead agency, however Nassau County Fire Rescue and the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department are assisting. The cause of the fire has not been determined and is currently being investigated. 

As of 9:30 a.m. this morning, the fire is at 1600 acres and 50% contained. No evacuation orders have been issued. Units have been strategically placed near any homes that could potentially be threatened so that first responders can act quickly, if needed. 

First responders currently have their food needs met today thanks to the Red Cross, however drinks are always appreciated. Anyone wishing to donate water, Gatorade, etc. can deliver them to Station 60 located at 8291 US Highway 301, Bryceville. 

County Road 121 is closed to motorists however individuals who live in the area will be allowed to pass by showing proof of residency. If you are in the area today, please be kind to the officers working. They are hot... they are tired... they are stressed... and unfortunately, some of our residents have not been the nicest to them. They are trying to do a job and trying to keep everyone safe. They are not there to ruin your day. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer 

4/7/23 at 9:00 a.m. - The National Association of Counties (NACo) has proclaimed April as National County Government Month. Each day this month, we will provide different facts about Nassau County, including information about its history, services provided and more.

Before 1981,the residents of Nassau County were protected by volunteer fire departments and volunteer basic life support units. However, in 1979, Civil Defense Director, Terry Griffin, came to work for Nassau County. Director Griffin was in charge of all fire, rescue, communications, lifeguards, and civil defense activities. In 1984, Director Griffin worked with the County Commission to assume an old volunteer fire station on the south end of Amelia Island and in early 1985, Nassau County Fire Rescue was created. 

Nassau County continued to grow over the years and as of 2022, the department has 8 fire stations, a variety of fleet vehicles (8 fire engines, 8 ambulances, 1 ladder truck, 4 reserve ALS units, a water rescue boat, etc.) and 147 employees. In Fiscal Year 21/22, Nassau County Fire Rescue responded to 1,252 fire calls and 9,168 rescue calls. They also responded to calls for a variety of other activities including fire alarms, HAZMAT situations, lift assistance, and investigations.

When not responding to calls, Fire Rescue personnel can be found participating in training exercises, washing vehicles, stocking the vehicles with medical and safety supplies, verifying medications,  and cleaning around the stations. They can also often be found visiting schools to teach children about fire safety and prevention and can always be relied on to attend community events.

We appreciate the brave men and women of Nassau County Fire Rescue and commend them on providing the highest level of service to the community. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer