St. Johns County Advances Fire Rescue Training Facility to Enhance First Responder Readiness and Public Safety

• 16 December 2025
• Category: District 2 Infrastructure Public Safety
• Tags: 2025

New facility would be located near State Road 16 and Interstate 95

The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners approved the first step toward a new Fire Rescue Training Facility, a critical investment that will expand local training opportunities for firefighters and paramedics while strengthening long-term public safety and emergency response capabilities countywide.

As part of its Consent Agenda, the Board approved the award of RFQ No. 2415 to KMF Architects for master planning and design services for the future St. Johns County Fire Rescue Training Facility, to be located on a 58.35-acre County-owned site at 3111 Agricultural Center Drive, St. Augustine. KMF Architects was selected following a competitive, qualifications-based process conducted in accordance with Florida law. Phase 1 of the project includes site evaluation, environmental assessments, programming, conceptual layouts, and development of a phased master plan with cost estimates. The Phase 1 contract is authorized at a not-to-exceed amount of $297,986.25.

The facility will be developed in phases as funding becomes available and is intended to provide modern, centralized training infrastructure for firefighters, paramedics, and emergency responders, advancing the priorities of Community Well-Being, Organizational Excellence, and Infrastructure within the St. Johns County Strategic Plan.

“This facility is about readiness,” said Sean McGee, Chief of St. Johns County Fire Rescue. “It will allow our teams to train in realistic environments, improve coordination, increase firefighter safety, and better prepare for the emergencies our community depends on us to handle every day.”

Once fully built, the Fire Rescue Training Facility is expected to include classroom and administrative space, fire training towers, extrication and urban search and rescue areas, and hazardous materials simulation props.

Funding for the project is supported by a $7.5 million state legislative appropriation included in the County’s Fiscal Year 2026 Capital Improvement Budget. Future phases will require separate Board approval. This investment represents a long-term commitment to ensuring St. Johns County maintains a well-prepared, highly trained emergency response workforce.

To learn more about St. Johns County Capital Improvement Projects, visit the Featured Projects web page.