USEPPA ISLAND VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY

Founded in the late 70's 

Officially Incorporated in 1981 with all services provided by local participation and supported by Lee County 

In 1996 a national search was performed to find a qualified couple with experience in both Fire and EMS emergency services. With the hiring of Chuck Berry as our new Fire Chief, he and his wife serviced the island for 17 years laying  the groundwork for our Fire Department. 

Our new Fire Station began construction in the fall of 1998 with our Ford F550 Fire Truck anticipated for delivery in early 1999 for the grand opening. Our Polaris 6x6 was added in 2002 to support the needs of access and mobility. With infrastructure still growing the concerns were immediate water availability. In response Chief Berry began the process of building our new pumper!  After 18 months our E-ONE International 7400 4x4 Pumper was delivered in early 2005! 

Unfortunately, we lost Chief Berry in January of 2013. The house the Chuck & Paula built “Station 221” is dedicated to their professionalism, friendship, and memory, forever impacting the residents and future firefighters of Useppa Island! 

The third change of leadership began in 2018 following the same format. Hiring a couple to manage the new demands and changes affecting the region and the requirements of Useppa Island.  During Chief Silva’s tenure, she was impactful and successful receiving grants to help support the needs of the department.  The grant brought in funds to increase our equipment cache, which helped to build a team of successful volunteers. The use of additional part-time firefighters from around the region were added to officially support the growing demands of Useppa Island.