Fire Academy of the South

Fire Academy of the South

Firefighter training activities have been conducted at the site since the early 1990s.  The training activities involved the use of various ignition sources and fire suppressant substances including aqueous film forming foam (AFFF). 

The academy contracted an environmental consulting firm to perform soil, sediment, and groundwater screening in 2011.  The findings indicated the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in proximity to a burn pit.  In 2012, additional assessment was performed to identify the horizontal and vertical extent of contamination which continued through 2019.  The May 2019 results indicated that the complete extent of perfluorooctanoate acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) impacts remain undefined. 

In 2021, under the State-Owned Lands Program, DEP assumed project management duties associated with continued PFAS assessment at the facility.  During an initial site visit, a sample collected from a surface water body disconnected from the previously assessed site area, contained elevated levels of perfluorinated compounds. DEP advised the Florida Department of Health (DOH) of these results and directed them to develop and implement a community sampling plan. DOH completed the initial sampling of twenty-five potable wells around the Fire Academy of the South on October 20, 2021, and found one exceedance above the Health Advisory Level. DOH efforts are ongoing.

DEP’s Water Supply Restoration Program is providing bottled water to all interested affected private well owners whose test results exceeded the established EPA Health Advisory Level. This voluntary program also provides funding for a filter, well restoration or connection to public water system as necessary to ensure a safe drinking water supply. This bottled water supply will remain available until one of these options is in place.

A link summarizing important events at this facility is included below.  More information about this site can be accessed through DEP’s information portal.  The Facility/Site ID is ERIC_17235.

• Timeline of Activities

Return to the Fire Training Facility Site Assessments page.