Sarasota News Leader
October 11, 2013
Page 104
The Sarasota County Fire Department was
officially established on Oct. 1, 1988, when
the Sarasota County Commission approved
Ordinance 88-56, the release says. Prior to
that, the county Fire Department had 10
fire-rescue stations with paid employees to
provide services to residents. It also had just
four EMS-only stations and two volunteer stations. The EMS-only stations served residents
in Nokomis, the City of Venice, South Venice
and the Englewood area.
In 1996, the release continues, the City of
Sarasota Fire Department officially became
part of the Sarasota County Fire Department.
The new department operated with 409 paid
personnel and about 100 volunteers staffing
Fire Chief Mike Tobias makes remarks to the
audience in an area normally used for training.
