Blog: North Port invests in public safety for a resilient future

Blog: North Port invests in public safety for a resilient future

Published on February 09, 2026

North Port's continued growth means we must stay clear-eyed and proactive about public safety. A big reason people enjoy living here is because it's a safe community, and the City needs to do its part to make sure we remain a safe community. That is why the future Fire Station 81 and our planned Emergency Operations Center (EOC) are critical capital projects underway.

Fire Station 81 has served as both a neighborhood station and the headquarters for North Port Fire Rescue for many years, but the building has outlived its original design and suffered significant wear, including damage during recent severe storms. As our community has grown, we have simply run out of space to house modern apparatus, equipment and the personnel needed to keep up with call volume. Initial plans focused on renovating and expanding the aging station, but post-Ian assessments showed that bringing the existing structure up to current building codes would be more expensive than a full replacement.

The new Station 81 is being designed as a resilient, modern facility so our crews can continue to respond when residents need them most. We celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony last week, marking the start of construction.

The City is using a combination of infrastructure surtax, fire district fees, and other dedicated funding sources, without adding a new tax on taxpayers to pay for the $17.5 million project, and without relying on large new debt. North Port is unique in that the City cannot borrow money without voter approval, so we plan for these types of projects years in advance and build them within our means. By leveraging county surtax and other restricted revenues, we are making long-term investments in public safety while protecting our day-to-day operating budget.

Today, when a hurricane or other major emergency threatens, our "EOC" is essentially a conference room on the second floor of City Hall, which is not a hardened facility and was never designed to coordinate a citywide disaster response. During major events, that room becomes crowded and loud, with limited space for the many partners who must sit side by side to make quick, informed decisions for the community. With other support staff and additional shifts of employees also working or sleeping elsewhere in the building during an emergency activation, we are sometimes unable to quickly reopen City Hall to the public and resume regular business.

The planned 16,000-square-foot EOC, located next to the new Fire Station 81 on City Center Boulevard, will provide our emergency management team with the space, technology, and hardened structure they need to operate safely in the worst conditions. A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for this month.

Most of the funding for the EOC comes from building funds and surtax revenues, reflecting our commitment to dedicating dollars to critical infrastructure. However, construction costs and competing capital needs mean we are actively seeking state appropriations and other external support to close the remaining funding gap, rather than placing the entire burden on local taxpayers. This blend of local surtax, building funds and potential state support is an example of the fiscally responsible, pay-as-you-go approach we are taking across our public safety capital program.

North Port faces a long list of major infrastructure needs, from a future police headquarters to utility and road improvements, all while remaining one of the fastest-growing cities in Florida. Because we cannot issue debt without voter approval, we rely on careful long-range planning, using tools like our capital improvement program and surtax funding plans to schedule projects like Fire Station 81 and the EOC over multiple years. That approach allows us to prioritize life-safety projects first, align them with available revenues, and make sure every dollar is stretched as far as possible for the benefit of our residents.

These projects are about more than new buildings; they are about making sure that when you dial 911, whether it is for a fire, a medical emergency or a hurricane bearing down on our city, the right people, in the right facilities, are ready to respond.

Jerome Fletcher is the North Port City Manager. He can be reached at [email protected].

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