Eustis Fire Department

The Eustis Fire Department traces its origins to 1883, when it began as an all-volunteer bucket brigade whose first apparatus was a hand-drawn wagon; the city hired its first paid fire chief, Edward S. Reeves, in 1922. Today it is a career department of the City of Eustis, led since 2015 by Fire Chief Michael Swanson, providing fire suppression, rescue, vehicle extrication, fire inspection, and administrative services across a 12.57-square-mile response area with a population of more than 21,000. The department typically runs over 4,000 calls a year and holds an ISO Public Protection Classification of 2, a rating based on response times, equipment, dispatching, water flow, service area, and personnel training.

The department operates from two stations: Station 22, the headquarters station at 100 West Norton Avenue, and Station 23 at 1800 Hicks Ditch Road. Its fleet includes two Pierce pumpers, an 85-foot ladder truck, an 85-foot tower, a brush truck, a quick-response rescue truck, command vehicles, and a 19-foot Bay Fischer rescue boat for the area's larger lakes. The department's 2021 history counted about 21 uniformed members.

Eustis Fire runs automatic aid on alarms and structure fires in neighboring Mount Dora and Tavares under interlocal agreements, covers a defined Lake County service district outside the city limits, and provides mutual aid to Umatilla and the State of Florida on request. On the prevention side, its Inspection Division enforces the Florida Fire Prevention Code with annual business inspections, plan reviews, and construction inspections, while community programs include a smoke detector program, station tours, school fire-safety education, and American Heart Association CPR, AED, and first aid courses.

Eustis Fire Department positions are filled through the City of Eustis, which posts openings on its GovernmentJobs.com portal and takes applications online through NeoGov; printed applications are also accepted at the Human Resources office at 109-A East Orange Avenue in Eustis.

The city's standard pipeline runs from application review through assessment or skills testing where applicable, interviews, and a background check covering criminal history and driving record, followed by a conditional offer. Fire positions fall under Florida's special-risk provisions, so final candidates must pass a drug test, and physically demanding roles also require a pre-employment physical.