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County Officials, Fire Chiefs Discuss Mid‑County Training Facility and High‑School Fire 1 Program
Summary
Speakers proposed reusing an old fire station in White City as a centrally located training facility to support volunteer departments and to create a pathway for high‑school students to earn Fire 1 certification in partnership with regional colleges.
Fire chiefs and county officials discussed converting an older fire station in White City into a centrally located training facility to reduce travel time for county volunteer firefighters and to support a high‑school Fire 1 program.
One fire chief said a central facility would shorten long commutes to Panama City and other distant academies and make recurring training more accessible. “Because it's centrally located from North and South…we could put a nice training facility in there,” the chief said.
Speakers described a multi-year vision: first, adapt the former station for practical training such as brush-fire response, then partner with area high schools and a regional college to deliver classroom and hands-on Fire 1 curriculum. A chief identified as serving Sawmill Creek West Division outlined benefits for recruitment and ISO ratings, noting existing outreach to local high schools and demonstrations of equipment to seniors.
Participants referenced an existing program at Leon High School run in partnership with Tallahassee State College as a model: that program secured a grant to buy equipment and held classes on campus. Speakers said a similar structure in Gulf County could provide Fire 1 certification locally; however, they warned that full‑time firefighting requires additional credentials (EMT/paramedic and Fire 2) beyond Fire 1.
No formal action or funding commitment was recorded; speakers asked the commission to explore facility rehabilitation, grant opportunities for equipment and instructor staffing, and partnerships with high schools and regional colleges.
