Please reach us at swvfdfire@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
The Florida Department of Agriculture, Florida forestry service, controls the burn laws and regulation.
It is illegal to burn man made/produced items or treated items such as lumber.
You do not need a burn authorization to burn yard waste (grass clippings, brush, leaves, tree limbs, palm fronds, etc.) as long as:
The pile must be:
The following activities require a burn authorization from the Florida Forest Service:
Read Steps to Getting an Authorization then contact your local Florida Forest Service field unit.
If your fire escapes, you may be liable for costs of suppression and damage to the property of others.
For further information visit the Florida forestry website at https://www.fdacs.gov/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/Wildland-Fire/Burn-Authorizations
Southwest Volunteer Fire Department is aware of concerns and questions within the community regarding site clearing debris burns on large development sites and home owners burning yard trash in their yards. SWVFD does not have legal ability or regulatory authority to manage or control burnings related to residential development, large land clearing, agriculture, or silviculture, and home owners legally burning on their property. State of Florida statute authorizes the Florida Forest Service to regulate these types of site clearing debris burns. In addition, SWVFD does not have the ability to regulate prescribed burns in forested areas or on public lands that are conducted by state or federal agencies. For additional information regarding state-regulated site clearing debris burns or prescribed burns, please visit www.sjcfl.us/FirePrevention/OpenBurning.aspx or www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/Wildland-Fire/Burn-Authorizations, or call the Florida Forest Service at (352) 395-4951 . The Florida Department of Environmental Protection regulates air quality and can also be reached at (904) 256-1553. If you feel a fire is illegal, not permitted, or out of compliance please call Putnam County Sheriff's Office communications non emergency line at (386) 329-0800 and request a fire department truck be sent to investigate.
Unfortunately we do not. When we deplete the water tank on a fire truck it is taken out of service and it is unable to respond to emergencies until it goes to the nearest water source and refilled. This means we may not be able to use the truck at that time to save someone's life or home in the event of an emergency. We also can not guarantee the cleanliness or source of the water in our firetrucks.
The purpose of emergency warning equipment is to let drivers and pedestrians know that an emergency vehicle is on the way to an emergency. By Florida state law, we do have certain privileges extended to us. Those being, to carefully and safely proceed through controlled intersections and travel against the designated flow of traffic. These privileges have rules that the legislation and department policy put on the drivers of these emergency vehicles. The main rule is that we cannot do these things unless there are lights flashing and sirens going. Even in the middle of the night.
A fire truck will sometimes arrive at an incident first because it is the closest emergency unit to the scene and we are committed to getting help to your location as fast as possible. All our volunteers are trained to provide basic emergency medical treatment. Since there are only limited amount paramedic rescue units in the Palatka area, firefighters respond to all calls involving life-threatening symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, chest pains, and severe bleeding. They initiate treatment to stabilize patients and provide information to the paramedics en route to the call so they will be aware of any additional advanced life support equipment that will be needed on the scene.
To ensure the most effective service at the time of an emergency, our crews must remain in their designated response territory with their fire trucks during their entire shift. Our crews work shifts with no scheduled breaks, and meals are not provided by the station. Personnel on each shift must purchase their own food and prepare their own meals, so they may make a daily trip to the grocery store within their first due area to buy whatever they need to prepare their meals for the entire shift. Fire crews do not have to be sitting in the fire station to be dispatched to a call. Since all our units maintain constant radio contact with Fire Communications and the entire crew must always be together with their truck, they are always ready to respond to any emergency, regardless of their current location or non-emergency assignment. Very often, our firefighters spend long periods of their day running calls, without returning to the station or stopping to eat, and they frequently have to return to the grocery store several times to finish purchasing food that they might not get a chance to cook during the shift.
Because we are volunteers each fire truck may only carry one firefighter or a limited amount of water. It is necessary to have enough firefighters and water on the scene of an incident to control the emergency. There are a number of specialized roles that firefighters undertake at the scene of a fire, and firefighting is a very labor-intensive activity. If you get behind because there are not enough firefighters on the call, it is more difficult to extinguish a fire quickly.
It depends on the height of the animal. our fire engines only carry one 25 foot ladder. Anything higher we are unable to reach.
We suggest contacting us at least 30 days in advance prior to the desired tour date. We can then schedule your tour. Fire safety programs are available for schools, senior citizen groups, and industries Arrangements may be made by contacting us at 386-329-0477
Southwest volunteer fire Department receives a limited number of smoke alarms for distribution to residents who may otherwise not be able to afford them. If you can not afford a smoke alarm please contact us to check availability at 386-329-0477. If you can afford a smoke alarm but have a question or concerns regarding installation of your own smoke alarm, please contact us at 386-329-0477 or call the non emergency line to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 386-329-0800 for a truck to be dispatch to your home.
Please contact Putnam County Department of Emergency Services at 386-329-0379