In the past month, fire departments around the county have filed four separate requests with the Walton County Board of County Commissioners to buy fire-fighting equipment and vehicles. With a winter predicted to have bad wildfires, fire stations around the county are attempting to prepare themselves to better protect residents. The problem with a lot of equipment around the county is that it is old. Fire trucks wear out. The fire stations in the county have a total of 52 fire engines, tankers and mini-pumpers.
Most fire stations have at least one vehicle that is equipped with foam-pumping capabilities.
Foam is used to fight wildfires. All the fire chiefs in the county feel confident that Walton County is adequately equipped to fight any wildfire that may break out this winter. In the mutual-aid agreement under which the stations operate, if there is a serious fire anywhere in the county, other departments in addition to the department in that district will respond to the fire. The South Walton Fire District has an additional mutual-aid agreement with Okaloosa County. Because South Walton district is not a volunteer fire department, it cannot call on volunteer fire departments for mutual aid, but if a volunteer department needs aid, the South Walton department can respond.