North Collier Fire Rescue District

08/31/2026

🛑 STOP SCROLLING — generator safety can prevent serious burns, fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Generator safety isn’t only something to think about during a storm or power outage. Generators are used every day on construction sites, job sites and for all kinds of work — and experience with the equipment doesn’t eliminate the risk.

North Collier Fire Rescue recently responded to an incident that resulted in a trauma alert for severe burns involving a person who regularly used a generator for work. It’s a powerful reminder that when something becomes part of our everyday routine, it can be easy to become comfortable with it — but the same safety precautions still need to be followed every single time.

Lt. Armando Negrin with our Life Safety & Fire Prevention Division shares three reminders:

⚠️ Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Know your equipment and always operate it as directed.

🏠 Never operate a generator in an enclosed or partially enclosed space — including a garage with the door open. Keep it at least 20 feet from your home or structure, with the exhaust pointed away from doors, windows and other openings.

⛽ Never refuel a generator while it’s running or still hot. Shut it off and give it time to cool before adding fuel. Gasoline spilled onto a hot engine or exhaust system can ignite, causing a fire and severe burns.

Whether it’s your first time using a generator or you use one every day for work, don’t let familiarity replace safety.

Take the extra few minutes. Follow the precautions. Every time.

08/30/2026

08/27/2026

“We are all ready to go October 1st.” — Deputy Fire Chief Mike Jimenez

During his Chief’s Report at the August 27 meeting of the North Collier Board of Fire Commissioners, Deputy Fire Chief Mike Jimenez provided an update on a major change coming to North Collier Fire Rescue.

Beginning October 1, North Collier Fire Rescue will transition to a 24/72 shift schedule — becoming the first fire department in Southwest Florida to make the move.

For decades, the traditional 24-hours-on, 48-hours-off schedule has been common throughout the fire service. But as our understanding of firefighter health and wellness continues to evolve, research has increasingly examined the effects of extended workweeks, interrupted sleep and insufficient recovery time on firefighters.

Research has associated chronic sleep disruption and extended firefighter workweeks with increased risks to physical and mental health, including cardiovascular and metabolic conditions, burnout, injuries and impacts on job performance. A 24/72 schedule provides three days of recovery between 24-hour shifts, offering greater opportunity for restorative sleep, physical and mental recovery, and time with family.

The transition also supports our continued compliance with Florida House Bill 929 (2025), which strengthened the state's focus on firefighter health and safety and directed the Division of State Fire Marshal to establish measures aimed at reducing firefighter fatalities, addressing occupational hazards and implementing mental health best practices.

Moving to 24/72 is another step in our commitment to protecting the long-term health and wellness of the men and women who protect our community — giving our firefighters greater opportunity to rest, recover and return ready to serve when our residents need them most.

08/25/2026

🏆 Forget the Lombardi Trophy… free wings for a YEAR are on the line. ✊✋✌️🍗

Join us this Thursday, August 27 at 6 p.m. for the Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament at Ho***rs of Naples, all benefiting the Collier County 100 Club!

📍 Ho***rs of Naples
3625 Gateway Lane

Come out, cheer on the competition, support a great cause and see who has what it takes to become the ultimate Rock, Paper, Scissors champion — and walk away with a year’s worth of wings.

Rock. Paper. Scissors. Wings. Seems like pretty high stakes to us. 👀🔥

08/25/2026

Regional preparedness starts with having the capability and sharing it.

We’re proud to see our regional partners highlighting this important propane emergency training

The training featured was provided by North Collier Fire’s Region 6C Hazardous Materials Team, which brought our specialized personnel and propane-flaring equipment to Greater Naples Fire Rescue for this hands-on training that included the Naples Fire-Rescue Department and Collier County EMS

As the Region 6C Hazardous Materials Team, North Collier Fire Rescue maintains specialized capabilities and equipment for incidents requiring resources beyond a traditional fire response. That includes the only fire department propane-flaring capability in Collier County, allowing our certified HazMat Technicians to safely manage and mitigate certain propane emergencies.

Having specialized equipment, however, is only part of preparedness. Just as important is bringing that capability to our partner agencies, sharing the knowledge behind it, and training together before the emergency happens.

NCFR recently received grant funding through the State of Florida and FEMA for a new Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, technology that will allow our certified HazMat Technicians to rapidly analyze unknown solids and liquids that may include hazardous materials, explosives, narcotics and chemical warfare agents.

The timing is especially meaningful as our nation approaches the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001. In the years following 9/11, significant investments were made through homeland security and domestic preparedness programs to strengthen specialized response capabilities at the local and regional level.

North Collier Fire Rescue has been fortunate to receive many of those grants over the years, helping us build, equip and maintain the specialized capabilities carried by Special Operations Heavy Rescue 48 and specials response units. Those investments do more than provide equipment they help ensure that highly specialized resources are maintained, ready and available when communities throughout our region need them.

That is what regional capability is about.

We are proud to serve as the Region 6C HazMat Team, proud to bring these capabilities to our partner agencies, and proud that these resources help protect communities throughout Collier County and beyond.

We train together because we respond together.

08/24/2026

🌎 Next stop: Rio de Janeiro. 🇧🇷

The North Collier Fire Rescue Extrication Team — the NCXT Misfits — is preparing to represent North Collier on the world stage at the 2026 World Rescue Challenge in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 18–23.

The World Rescue Challenge brings rescue professionals together from around the globe to put their skills to the test in realistic vehicle extrication scenarios. Teams are evaluated on everything from technical rescue and incident command to communication and patient care — all while adapting to scenarios they won't know until it's time to compete.

For the Misfits, the competition is about more than a finish on the leaderboard. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn, improve and bring new techniques and knowledge back home to the crews who serve our community every day.

They've trained together. They've competed together. And this November, they're taking those skills to Rio. 🚒🌎🇺🇸

👕 Want to help support their trip?

The NCXT Misfits are currently taking pre-orders for team T-shirts to help raise money for their trip to Brazil!

Head over to the post on the NCXT Misfits page linked below. From there, you can fill out the Google Form linked in their post with your shirt size, or simply leave a comment on the post. The team is gathering pre-orders now so they can place a bulk order.

Support the team, rep the Misfits and help send them to Rio! 🇧🇷

08/24/2026

How do you prepare for the high-pressure environment of pediatric emergency calls? 🚑 You innovate.

Pediatric calls are often some of the most challenging situations our responders face. To meet that demand, Lieutenant Curtis Dean and the EMS training division created a unique team-building exercise designed to replicate real-world stress.

The immersive experience challenges our paramedics to work as a team, problem-solve through complex medical cases, and manage high-stress situations in a controlled environment.

Great work to all our personnel who took on the challenge to sharpen their skills for our community's youngest patients and congratulations to the winning team members: Matthew Howard, Michael “Johnny Mac” McDaniel, Chad Moore, Jeff Green, Michael Dischler. They completed the “escape room” in 5 minutes and 29 seconds.

💪

08/23/2026

Last evening, we hosted our first civilian rip current and water safety class with a group that made the occasion especially meaningful: members of the Naples DBR Goalkeeper Academy, their coaches, and their parents.

They came to learn and remember one of their own, a teammate, a friend, and fellow goalkeeper, Isaac Breese. Isaac died in the waters off Blind Pass in July 2024, just before his senior year of high school. His loss continues to impact this soccer family.

Our Ocean Rescue team taught participants how to recognize rip currents, understand how they form, and respond safely if caught in one. In the water, they used our rip current simulator to practice staying calm, swimming parallel to the current to escape it, floating when needed, and calling for help.

They also learned how to help someone else without becoming another victim: throw flotation devices, call 911, alert lifeguards, and use beach location markers to guide responders.

This is the mission of Ocean Rescue, engaging beyond the lifeguard stand.

In the video, Coach Dwayne “Coach D” Martin shares what the experience meant to the DBR family. We’ll also share the words of one of Isaac’s teammates in the comments.

To Isaac’s family, teammates, coaches, and friends: thank you for trusting us to be part of this tribute and for allowing his memory to continue to reach others.

They learned for themselves, for one another, and in honor of Isaac.

Because sometimes a legacy is carried forward through the lives we help protect. 💙

08/21/2026

Today is National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. Sheriff Rambosk has worked tirelessly to combat the illegal use of this drug in our community. CCSO urges you to never take prescription medication that is not prescribed to you. Just two salt-sized grains can be deadly. For more information on the dangers of fentanyl visit https://www.colliersheriff.org/communi.../fentanyl-resources

Today is National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. Sheriff Rambosk has worked tirelessly to combat the illegal use of this drug in our community. CCSO urges you to never take prescription medication that is not prescribed to you. Just two salt-sized grains can be deadly. For more information on the dangers of fentanyl visit https://www.colliersheriff.org/community-resources/fentanyl-resources

08/20/2026

Kinda chic to save lives for a living. 💅🚑

On International Day of Medical Transporters, we’re celebrating the crews who take patient care on the road.

Our ALS transport crews do far more than get patients from point A to point B. They provide advanced, pre-hospital care throughout transport — assessing patients, administering medications, monitoring cardiac activity, managing emergencies and continuing treatment all the way to the hospital.

It takes clinical skill, quick thinking, compassion and the ability to provide exceptional care in a constantly moving environment.

Being part of a patient’s care when they need it most?

Kinda chic.

Happy International Day of Medical Transporters to our crews and medical transport professionals everywhere! 🚑