TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The Tallahassee City Commission is moving forward with a \u201cseparation\u201d where the fire department will stop providing services outside the city in 2028.<\/p>\n
City staff say this separation will allow the city to provide a higher level of staffing and response time once they no longer respond to the county.<\/p>\n
The city manager and fire chief said TFD plans to retain all of the firefighters currently employed by the department. <\/p>\n
By consolidating fire stations and area, the chief said the department will be able to meet national goals in response time and the number of firefighters on each car.<\/p>\n
However, the department will lose about $15 million currently provided by the county each year.<\/p>\n
More Tallahassee news: <\/p>\n
Multiple commissioners said they hope \u201ccooler heads\u201d would prevail in this dispute between the city and the county, though none of the commissioners in the majority suggested undoing the vote.<\/p>\n
Tallahassee Fire Chief Gene Sanders said safety is the most important thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s most important to me is the safety and welfare of our employees and our ability to deliver high, top-tier service. When I said no, it wasn\u2019t my recommendation [to separate], my recommendation is whatever is best for my employees.\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n
Under the contract between the city and county, the city will sell the fire stations and equipment from stations 10-14, which are located outside the city, at a depreciated rate.<\/p>\n
City staff acknowledged there would be legal and other issues to work through before the separation occurs in 2028.<\/p>\n
If the city does retain all of its firefighters, that would mean Leon County would need to hire dozens of firefighters by 2028, and negotiate a sale price for those stations. <\/p>\n
To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n