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.
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
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.
Requirements
- All requests from attorneys or Insurance Companies for medical records and/or billing statements must be accompanied by a Witnessed or Notarized Release signed by the patient.
- Please include the patient's name, date of incident and location of incident on all request for records.
- Requests must be made on the attorney or insurance company's letterhead.
- Attorneys that have a history of non-payment will be put on "prepayment status" or "hold" status at the discretion of the records custodian and the records will not be released until payment is made or the account is made current.
Request Process
- Fire incident reports are considered public record and are available upon request. Fire reports are available at out Administrative Office during normal business hours, 8:00am to 4:30pm. Our office is located at 5160 NW Milner Dr. Port St. Lucie, FL 34983.
- It is suggested that the Fire Prevention Department is contacted by phone at 772-621-3344 to ensure the report is available.
- The date, time, and address of the incident is requested to process the request. Provide the incident number when available.
- If the exact date is unknown, please provide the incident location and approximate month and year of the incident.
- For fire loss research on a property address or extensive fire property research (only on public places), please provide property location, date and year parameters to be researched.
Note: Fire reports are public records with exception of arson investigation reports unless closed.
Reports involving any type of medical treatment are considered confidential information and are protected by law. It is exempt from Florida State Statutes 119.01, Public Records Law; and protected under Florida State Statutes 401.30, Medical Transport Law; 401.2101, Emergency Medical Transportation Services Act; Public Law 104-191, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA); and Privacy Rule 45 CFR Part 160-164. These reports may be released only to the patient or an authorized representative or agent of the patient.
Requirements
As per the St. Lucie County requirements the following items are required before any medical records can be released:
- Copy of the photo ID
- Completed Medical Release form signed by the patient.
- If the patient is a child under 18, a copy of the child's birth certificate or legal document stating guardianship is required along with the parent or legal guardian's photo ID.
- If the patient is in someone else's care, a copy of a power of attorney is required.
- If the patient is deceased (reports are released to the next of kin only), a copy of the death certificate identifying the next of kin and/or legal documents of estate representative are required, and a copy of the driver's license, legal photo identification, or attorney letter representing the estate of the requesting family member.
Mail completed record request to:
St. Lucie County Fire District
Attn: Records Dept.
5160 NW Milner Dr.
Port St. Lucie, FL 34983
Requirements
- All subpoenas must be hand delivered by service of process or certified mail to the Records Custodian.
- Subpoenas received by fax, regular mail, or any other means will be subject to denial.
- The subpoena must be signed by a person of the court and not stamped.
- Prepayment is required if the cost exceeds $25 or the attorney issuing the subpoena is in "prepayment" or "hold" status.