About Us

Fire service in North Naples has come a long way since its early days. Originally, fire service was handled by volunteers and fell under the services of the North Naples Civic Association. The volunteer firefighters were paid $2.00 per call and responded to alarms in their own vehicles.

On April 22, 1961, the North Naples Fire Control District was created by House Bill No. 204, which defined the District as including the land in Naples Park, Pine Ridge and North Naples. The new District's central location was the volunteer fire station at 955 Pine Ridge Road, which was owned by the North Naples Civic Association.

The initial Board of Fire Commissioners for the newly formed District included three members: Larry Mandeville, Edward Hallicy and John Shuff. Their first order of business was to purchase the trucks owned by the North Naples Civic Association at fair market value.

At the time of the District's formation, the Enabling Act levied a rate of one (1) mil, which is still in effect today. The District's budget has grown from the maximum set by the enabling legislation in 1961 of $20,000 per year -- when it was an all-volunteer department -- to its current operating budget of over $20 million a year.

In 1971, the District hired its first paid firefighters from among the current volunteers. Today the District supports seven fire stations which are staffed 365 days per year, housing nearly 165 employees, 13 fire apparatus and 3 boats.