St. Augustine Fire Department

10/11/2025

‼️ SATURDAY, October 11: Anticipate flooding and road closures, including the Bridge of Lions and King Street bridge, between 11:30am and 2:30pm today in the same areas and locations as yesterday. Impacts will be dependent on areas that are more prone to flooding.

⚠️Coastal Flood Warning remains in effect for the entirety of the Atlantic Coast and St. Johns River Basin through at least this evening's high tide
🌊Many tide gauges have already peaked at Moderate Flood Stage, with several briefly reaching Major Flood Stage including near downtown Saint Augustine (photo below)
⚠️Flooding of nearby coastal/river roads is already occurring - turn around, don't drown!

10/06/2025

Happy Fire Prevention Week! This year’s theme is “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium Ion Batteries in Your Home”.

Lithium-ion batteries store a lot of energy in a small place. These batteries can overheat, start a fire, or explode if overcharged or damaged.

This year’s theme reminds us the importance of buying only listed battery-powered products, charging devices safely- on a flat hard surface rather than a couch or bed, and recycling batteries responsibly. To find a recycling spot near you, visit call2recycle.org

09/24/2025

This week the St. Augustine Fire Department in partnership with the St. Augustine Municipal Marina, had the opportunity to carry out 3 days of hands on training exercises. These exercises better prepared our firefighters to mitigate vessel and marina related emergencies. Despite warm temperatures and heavy call volume, a total of 1800’ of hose was pulled each day. That’s over a mile of hose in 3 days! Special thanks for Lt. Murphy and Eng. Moscoso for organizing a great week of training.

08/21/2025

Just before 5 PM today, St. Augustine Fire Department and St. Johns County Fire Rescue received a call regarding a structure fire on Water St.

Initial crews arrived on the scene within four minutes to find flames from the roof. The fire was brought under control within 15 minutes.

This iconic and historic home was built in the 1880s. It was originally owned by the Dismukes family, who helped lead efforts to save the historic City Gates.

Later the home was purchased by Dr. Joseph Fogerty, a prominent physician and surgeon who served as mayor of St. Augustine twice and even became John D. Rockefeller’s personal physician.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported, and we are relieved that this piece of St. Augustine's rich history has been preserved.

Eyewitness accounts and damage is consistent with a lightning strike as the likely cause.

08/13/2025

Around 4:15am units from City Fire, St. Johns County Fire Rescue, and St. Johns County Sheriff's Office responded to a small boat capsized offshore on the North Shoals of the St. Augustine Inlet. St. Augustine Fire Boat M-49 arrived on scene to find 3 victims in the water. Due to sea conditions a rescue swimmer was deployed to assist the victims to the fire boat. One victim was transported by SJFCR with non-life-threatening injuries. None of the victims were wearing PFDs (Personal Flotation Device). The incident is under investigation by MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife.

08/01/2025

Today, we held a special pinning ceremony to honor the achievements and promotions of several dedicated St. Augustine Fire Department members:

Doug Schenck – New Firefighter
Vince Coursey – Promoted from Firefighter to Engineer
Josh McKenzie – Promoted from Engineer to Lieutenant
Brandon Seymour – Promoted from Lieutenant to Captain
Dustin Hamilton – Assistant Fire Marshal

We’re proud of their service, leadership, and continued commitment to keeping our community safe.

👏 Help us congratulate them in the comments!

07/24/2025

We had an exciting morning as we honored two extraordinarily devoted public servants. Commander Josh Underwood from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office and our very own Deputy Chief Chris Pacetti were honored by U.S. Coast Guard Southeast and presented with the US Coast Guard Public Service Commendation Award for their contributions to enhancing public safety responses and local maritime resources. This is an incredible honor for them both and we are proud and grateful for their efforts.

07/10/2025

Thank you, Anastasia Church , for allowing us to train at your facility. This week your firefighters used the portions of the building set for demolition to practice cutting, breaching and forcible entry techniques. These acquired structures allow us to practice skills in real world environments. Thank you for your support and partnership Anastasia Church.

06/27/2025

The Bridge of Lions has reopened. At approximately 11:40 last night, a vehicle accident occurred on the eastern side of the bridge. The bridge was temporarily closed to facilitate an inspection by FDOT. The bridge has reopened to all traffic.

06/04/2025

A few shifts ago, B-Crew executed an Elevated Rescue at FSDB. Crews from City Fire and St. Johns County Fire Rescue employed Rope Rescue techniques and utilized Hook & Ladder 47 to extricate the patient from the 3rd floor roof.

📸 Credit - SJCFR PIO Naff

05/26/2025

At approximately 2pm units from St. Augustine Fire Department, St. Johns County Fire Rescue, St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Coast Guard Southeast, and MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife responded to a capsized vessel near the St. Augustine Inlet. St Augustine Fireboat Marine 49 arrived on scene and assisted the victims out of the water. No injuries or pollution were reported. FWC is investigating the cause of the accident. All occupants had life jackets.

05/21/2025

Capt. Seymour leading VES (Vent Enter Search) training this week.