Dear residents of Captiva,
On behalf of the board of fire commissioners and the entire Captiva Island Fire Control District, we extend our sincere gratitude to the community for your support in passing the recent referendum.
We are deeply honored by the trust and confidence you have placed in our mission to protect the lives, property and safety of everyone who lives, works and visits Captiva Island. Your vote reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that our community remains prepared, resilient and capable of meeting both today’s needs and tomorrow’s challenges.
With this approval comes a great responsibility. We fully recognize the obligation entrusted to us to steward public funds carefully, act with transparency and deliver on the commitments outlined during this process. The passage of this referendum enables us to strengthen emergency response capabilities, enhance operational resilience and plan responsibly for the future of the island.
Captiva Island faces unique challenges — including vulnerability to severe weather events, limited access points and increasing service demands. Your support ensures that the district can continue evolving to meet those demands while maintaining the high level of service our community expects and deserves.
We remain committed to open communication and accountability as we move forward with implementation of our goals. This is a significant milestone for the district and for the island as a whole, and we are grateful to serve a community that understands the importance of proactive public safety planning.
Thank you again for your continued support and for allowing us the privilege of serving Captiva.
Jeff Pawul is fire chief for the Captiva Island Fire Control District. The Florida Legislature created the district in 1955 as an independent state taxing authority to provide fire protection services. For more information, visit https://www.captivafire.com/.