FAQs

Always, always, always call 911 for any emergency!

North Collier Fire does not self-dispatch our units. All unit dispatch is coordinated by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office for all fire departments, EMS and sheriff deputies within Collier County. With this centralized dispatching, the appropriate response units, as well as the closest units to you, are alerted for each emergency. Additionally, calling a station directly may end up with no one available to answer the phone as our crews may be out on another emergency. We cannot stress enough the importance of calling 911 for any emergency.

At this time, North Collier Fire does not provide child car seat installation, however, many of our community partners do. View local organizations that assist with child car seat installations.

North Collier Fire Rescue does not collect expired prescriptions. View drop off locations in Collier County.

As of January 1, 2018, the fire-related codes have changed and now permit electric grills on lanais/balconies provided that they conform to the current NFPA 1 Florida Fire Prevention Code 2015 edition. North Collier Fire Control and Rescue District enforces the Florida Fire Prevention Code National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) I, Uniform Fire Code 2015 Edition, Chapter 10 General Fire Safety, Section 10.11.6.

10.10.6.1.1: Listed electric portable, tabletop grills, not to exceed 200 square inches of cooking surface, or other similar apparatus shall be permitted.

10.10.6.3: Listed equipment permanently installed in accordance with its listing, applicable codes, and manufacturer’s instructions shall be permitted.

North Collier Fire Control and Rescue District enforces the Florida Fire Prevention Code National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) I, Uniform Fire Code 2015 Edition, Chapter 10 General Fire Safety, Section 10.11.6.

• For one- and two-family dwellings: Yes
• For other than one- and two-family dwellings: No

10.10.6.1: No hibachi, grill or other similar devices used for cooking, heating or any other purpose shall be used or kindled on any balcony, under any overhanging portion, or within 10 ft. of any structure.

North Collier Fire Control and Rescue District enforces the Florida Fire Prevention Code National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) I, Uniform Fire Code 2015 Edition, Chapter 10 General Fire Safety, Section 10.11.6.

• For one- and two-family dwellings: Yes
• For other than one- and two-family dwellings: No

10.10.6.2 No hibachi, grill or other similar devices used for cooking shall be stored on a balcony.

Storage of propane gas cylinders within a residential structure, including a lanai, patio, garage or basement, is dependent upon the type of cylinder. North Collier Fire Control and Rescue District enforces the Florida Fire Prevention Code National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 58 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code 2014 Edition, Chapter 8 – Storage within Residential Buildings.

8.3.5 Storage Within Residential Buildings:
Storage of propane gas cylinders within a residential building, including the basement or any storage area in a common basement of a multiple-family building and attached or detached garages, shall be limited to cylinders each with a maximum water capacity of 2.7 lb. (1.2 kg) and shall not exceed 5.4 lb. (2.4 kg) aggregate water capacity per each living space unit.

8.4.1.1 Storage Outside of Buildings:
Storage outside of buildings for propane gas cylinders awaiting use or resale or that are part of a cylinder exchange point shall be located as follows: (1) at least 5 ft. (1.5 m) from any doorway or opening in a building frequented by the public where occupants have at least two means of egress as defined by NFPA 101, Life Safety Code (2) At least 10 ft. (3 m) from any doorway or opening in a building or sections of a building that has only one means of egress.

Single Family Homes/Duplexes

Our recommendation is to limit storage to less than 5 gallons in an approved safety can. During emergency preparedness times, it is understandable that you may want to store additional quantities. It is recommended to not use containers larger than 5 gallons and limit storage to 5 of these containers (25 gallons total). This storage should be in a cool, well vented area, and if possible, in an outlying building or the garage.

Multi-Family Homes (Townhomes/Apartments/Condominiums)

Per NFPA 1(2015 Edition) 60.4.2.1.8 (REF: NFPA 400 5.2.1.3), there is no allowable storage of gasoline containers of any quantity within the living area (including lanai/balcony) or attached garage. If your garage is unattached, it is permissible to have up to 2.5 gallons of gasoline stored in an approved safety can.

The Florida Fire Prevention Code NFPA 1 requires that fire hydrants be kept accessible to the fire department at all times. “No person shall place or keep any post, fences, vehicle, growth, vegetation, trash or storage of any other materials that would obstruct the hydrant and hinder or prevent its immediate use by fire department personnel.” NFPA requires that a 36-inch (914 mm) clear space shall be maintained around the circumference of fire hydrants except as otherwise require or approved. A clear space of not less than 60 inches (1524 mm) shall be provided in front of each hydrant connection having a diameter greater than 2 ½ inches (64 mm).

• Diagram(PDF, 128KB)

In the event of an emergency in which you are unable to open the door for first responders, North Collier Fire Rescue firefighters and paramedics can use their master key to open the lock box and access your house key to gain entry into your home. Having a lock box can add lifesaving minutes during an emergency, and can save property damage that forcibly gaining entry may cause. Lock boxes must be purchased through our Fire Prevention Bureau at (239) 597-9227.

At various times throughout the year, the Florida Forestry Service may conduct prescribed burns. To determine if prescribed burns are occurring near you, please contact the local Florida Forestry Service:

Caloosahatchee Forestry Center
Florida Forest Service
10941 Palm Beach Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33905-5904
(239) 690-8001

You may need a burn permit depending on your location and other parameters. Yard waste may be burned without prior authorization only if certain guidelines apply. To determine if you need a burn permit, learn more at our Burn Permits page. Or, you may call North Collier Fire Rescue District at (239) 597-9227.

A community’s investment in fire mitigation is a proven and reliable predictor of future fire losses. So, insurance companies use various information to help establish fair premiums for fire insurance — generally offering lower premiums in communities with better protection. The North Collier Fire Control and Rescue District has achieved a Public Protection Classification Score of 2 for properties located within a defined distance of a fire station, usually five road miles in most instances. For properties not located within a defined distance of a fire station, the score is a 10. To obtain the ISO score for your residence, please contact our Life Safety & Prevention Bureau at (239) 597-9227.

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. If one of our engines is closer to you than a Collier County EMS ambulance, we will be dispatched. All of our engines are staffed with one or more paramedics who are able to deliver both BLS (Basic Life Support) and ALS (Advanced Life Support) just like our Collier County EMS paramedics partners.

Yes, North Collier Fire can assist you with changing out smoke alarm batteries. To arrange for assistance, please call us at (239) 597-3222. Note that this assistance is limited to battery change out only. If you have a non- or mal-functioning smoke alarm, you will need to contact a handyman or electrician for service.

Our firefighters work 24 hour shifts, which means that they eat, sleep, and work at the fire station for 24 hours at a time. Occasionally they need to go to the store to purchase food to prepare meals for the day, but they are still on duty. While in the store, they are still in-service and prepared to respond immediately. If you’ll notice, they are carrying their emergency radios with them while in the store.