Fire Department

The City of Panama City Fire Department serves a beautiful coastal community with a population of approximately 38,000. Panama City is located in the central panhandle of northwest Florida along St. Andrews Bay. This area is immediately adjacent to Florida's Intracoastal Waterway and the blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Department Dynamics

In serving our community, the Panama City Fire Department is composed of the Administrative Division, Operations Division, Fire Training Division, Fire Prevention and Public Education Division, Logistics, including the Firefighters in the Operations Division the department's total staffing 86 personnel working together in order to accomplish the single goal of protecting our community from the perils of fires and other emergencies.

The Operations Division is lead by the Fire Chief and staffed as follows:

  • 3 Battalion Chiefs, 5 Station Captains, 13 Lieutenants, 18 Engineers, and 36 Firefighters
  • Fire Prevention and Public Education consisting of a Division Chief, Lieutenant Fire Inspector / Investigator, Civilian Fire Inspector / Investigator and Fire Prevention Support Specialist / Records Management Specialist
  • Division of Training / Logistics consists of a Division Chief, Logistics Captain and Maintenance Worker

For details on the specific divisions and their functions, see the additional page links on the navigation menu.

Comprehensive Emergency Planning

The climate in Panama City is usually mild and very pleasant. However, since the City is located on Florida's Gulf Coast, our community is also subject to landfall from hurricanes. While the Atlantic Hurricane Season spans from June 1st through November 30th of each year, hurricane preparedness has become essentially a year-round activity.

The Fire Department is responsible for the Panama City "Comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan (CEOP)." This plan is utilized to prepare, respond to and recovery from various disasters that can impact Panama City. The CEOP is reviewed annually for needed revisions. Once revised, city staff tests the plan though annual exercises. Through planning and training, the City is always prepared for a disaster.