Board approves Dorcas Fire District budget, authorizes two full‑time positions

Okaloosa County commissioners on Sept. 2 approved a fiscal 2025–26 budget for the Dorcas Fire District and authorized hiring two full‑time positions — a fire chief immediately and a captain approximately six months later — to begin standing up county‑overseen fire service for the Dorcas community.

Pat Maddox, director of public safety, told the board the Dorcas district was recreated by the state legislature and transferred to Okaloosa County administrative oversight in 2024. Maddox said the county received one private bid to operate the district that was not financially feasible and recommended creating a hybrid model of paid staff plus volunteers. ‘‘We estimate that we have approximately $300,000 in impact fee and capital dollars and a little over 300,000, probably closer to the $400,000 range in operating dollars as we head into the next fiscal year,’’ Maddox said.

Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the proposed budget and to authorize funding to create two positions with salary ranges staff described as industry‑standard: a chief at $80,000–$90,000 and a captain at $70,000–$80,000, with hiring likely toward the higher end for experienced candidates. The board instructed staff to proceed with recruitment and allowed the county administrator discretion to accelerate hiring if workload required it.

Why it matters: Dorcas is a special dependent district with a small tax base and limited revenue; standing up an operational structure that relies on a mix of paid staff and volunteers is intended to keep local assessments from rising sharply while preserving emergency response and ISO ratings. Staff said the district currently generates roughly $300,000 in recurring operating revenue plus carryover funds and requested up to $300,000 from impact reserves for capital replacements and equipment that are not recurring costs.

The board approved the budget and staffing by unanimous voice vote. Staff said it will return with position classifications and recruit immediately for the chief post while continuing coordination through the existing interlocal response arrangement until local operations are fully transitioned. No property‑tax increase or new assessments were adopted at the meeting.