Evaluation of the Establishment and Delivery of Fire Services

Leon County is accepting proposals from qualified vendors to evaluate the establishment and delivery of fire services in the unincorporated areas of its jurisdiction. This will include the evaluation of the current model of service and the evaluation of alternative models that would provide a comparable level of service to meet the community needs and identify cost effective options. The County anticipates a budget in the range of $80,000 to $130,000 for this project and requests that qualified firms submit proposals accordingly.

Leon County is a charter county and a political subdivision of the State of Florida. The County is a vibrant and steadily growing region with one municipality – the City of Tallahassee (City). It is approximately 702 square miles with a population of approximately 302,197 residents (202,203 within the City limits and 99,994 in the unincorporated area). The County is the state capital of Florida, home to two major universities, a well-recognized state college, and serves as the economic and governmental hub of the region.

Through an Interlocal Agreement, the City provides fire service in the unincorporated areas from fire stations located within the City and unincorporated Leon County. Additionally, six (6) volunteer fire departments (VFD) located in the unincorporated areas supplement City Fire Department (TFD) response in the unincorporated Leon County.

Tallahassee and the Tallahassee outside protection area (OPA), which include unincorporated Leon County, are currently rated Class 3/3X Public Protection Classification from the Insurance Services Office (ISO). The City provides fire services throughout the County that include fire suppression; technical rescue; hazardous materials response; Urban Search and Rescue; basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS) first response; fire marshal – including serving as the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ); conducting inspections and plans reviews; and fire prevention. Services are delivered in the unincorporated areas of the County from the closest fire station, regardless of whether the station is located within the city limits or not.

Through its Division of Emergency Medical Services, the County is the sole provider of ambulance services countywide with BLS and ALS first response. The County operates a hybrid EMS model where ambulances are co-located at four (4) TFD fire stations in unincorporated areas of the County and utilizes a dynamic deployment model in the remainder of the community.

In 2009, the first fire rescue services assessment study was adopted and implemented in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 by a County-City Interlocal Agreement to uniformly charge properties for fire services in both the City and unincorporated areas of the County. In 2023, the City and County most recently amended the Interlocal Agreement to provide for an additional five-year term (October 2023 – September 2028). In September 2025, the City notified the County of their intention to not renew the Interlocal Agreement beyond the current term which is set to expire September 30, 2028. Subsequently, the Board of County Commissioners authorized the County Administrator to initiate a competitive solicitation process for professional services to evaluate the establishment and delivery of fire services in unincorporated Leon County.