Public Records
The St. Lucie County Fire District (SLCFD) recognizes its responsibility to maintain public records and to make such documents, created in the normal course of business, available for inspection and reproduction.
The SLCFD Records Department processes all requests for public records generated by the general public and the media.
“Public Records” are defined by F.S. 119.011(11), as:
All documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing software, or other material, regardless of the physical form, characteristics, or means of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any agency. These may include, but are not limited to; incident reports, district personnel files, district policies and procedures, data reports, and interoffice memos.
To streamline processing, ensure accuracy and track progress, all public record requests will be logged; copies of the responsive records will be obtained and released to the requesting party.
Public Records
To obtain a copy of an ambulance transport, please see the requirements under Medical/Transport Records to the left of this page before making your request.
Designated Records Custodian: Patricia Marston-Duva, Clerk Treasurer
Contact: Teresa Toto
Title: Records Clerk
Phone: 772-621-3347
Fax: 772-621-3606
Email: records@slcfd.org
Fire/Environmental Incident Reports
To obtain a fire incident report or environmental report, please see the requirements under Fire/Environmental Reports to the left of this page before making your request.
Contact: Kelly Machado
Phone: 772-621-3344
Fax: 772-621-3604
Email: kmachado@slcfd.org
Fees/Payment
The SLCFD shall, within a reasonable amount of time, advise the requester of any fees that shall be incurred to fulfill the request for public records, and the approximate time it shall take to make the records available. The requester shall then arrange for his/her inspection of copies with the SLCFD Records Clerk or designee. All public records shall be available for inspection or copying under the supervision of the custodian (or designee) of the public records at any reasonable time during normal office hours of the District office or another office in which records are maintained. If the records or any part of them are exempt in accordance with F.S. 119.07 and 119.071, the exemptions will be identified in writing to the person making the request, citing the specific statutory basis for exemption.
The requester has the option to either inspect the records or receive a copy of the records. A person may purchase copies of the District’s public records upon payment of a fee in advance. There is a minimum charge of $.15 per one-sided copy, $.20 per double-sided copy, and one dollar ($1.00) per page for a certified copy of a public record. Contact the Records Department at 772-621-3347 for total amount of report cost.
An additional reasonable charge may be charged for labor and overhead associated with the duplication of oversized documents, such as maps, photographs, blueprints, computer reports, labels, etc.
If the nature or volume of public records requested to be inspected, examined, or copied is such as to require extensive use of information technology resources or extensive clerical or supervisory assistance by District personnel, the Records Clerk or designee may charge in addition to the actual cost of the duplication, the labor cost of the personnel providing the service. For purposes of this rule, “extensive” means that it will take more than thirty (30) minutes to locate, review for confidential information, copy and re-file the requested material.
Please make checks payable to "St. Lucie County Fire District." We do accept credit cards for payment. Pre-payment must be made if the cost exceeds $25.00 before we can process the request. Fee schedule per Florida Statutes, Chapters 119, section 119.07 (4).
Related Documents
HIPAA Privacy Rule
View the St. Lucie County Fire District's Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rule.
Public Records vs. Public Information: A request for information is a request in which the requested information does not already exist in public record form. A specific request for information may or may not have a record that can fulfill the request -if a record exists, it will be provided as permitted by law. The District is not required by law to respond to requests for information or requests to answer questions. The District may elect to do so as a public service when the work involved can be accomplished quickly, or when answering requests of a certain nature that are part of the District’s duties and responsibilities.
Public records must exist in order to be provided. That may sound simple, but many times individuals request information they think the District maintains, when in fact, it doesn't. This can lead to the misconception that information is not being provided. Records maintained by the District will always be made available for public inspection and reproduction.
Note: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.