Council approves variance for longer dock at Calhoun fire station

The Destin Fire District got the nod from the city council at its most meeting for a variance to construct a longer dock behind the firehouse located off Calhoun Avenue on Choctawhatchee Bay. 

The current dock behind the firehouse at 127 Calhoune Ave. is 175 feet long. 

“Where it is now, it works, but when you have the tides and you get winter ... it can get extremely shallow where we can’t get the boat off the lift,” said Destin Fire Chief Kevin Sasser. 

The fire district is looking to build a new dock about 388 feet long that would consist of six boat lifts and 18 mooring pilings, an emergency loading and unloading zone and an emergency staging area. 

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“We are actually wanting to turn this dock into a Marine Response Dock,” Sasser said. 

They are looking to make room for a boat from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as well as NOAA. 

“It will serve more than just us ... that’s part of getting it out that far,” Sasser said, noting the 388 feet was needed to get over the seagrass as well. 

The property at 125 Calhoun has 90 feet on the waterfront and is located between Clement Taylor Park and Capt. Leonard Destin Park on the bay. On the property is an office space up front, a bay to house firetruck No. 19, the living quarters for the firefighters, and a dock for the jet skis and a fire boat. 

The fire department currently has a 28-foot fire boat with a 45-footer on the way. 

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“It should be here by spring,” Sasser said, noting it is currently in the construction process. 

“Our hope is March, but it could be May,” Sasser said. 

“We hope to get it before Memorial weekend,” he added. 

And the new 48-footer will be “used for everything,” Sasser said. 

He said the boat was designed with a dive platform, plus it can put out more gallons of water per minute. 

Sasser explained that if a large fire broke out at a home on the waterfront, “We have a water supply right there to pump from.” 

The new boat will have two pumps and can put out 3,000 gallons (about half the volume of a large U-Haul truck) a minute. 

It will also have a cabin on it designed like an ambulance. 

For example, if there were a medical emergency aboard one of the fishing fleet boats, the new fire boat would go out and meet them. 

“Hopefully we can transfer them over (the patient) to our boat and we can work on them inside,” he said. 

As for the other boats, Sasser says they have talked with the Okaloosa Sheriff’s Office, FWC and NOAA. 

“Every one of them is excited. They are excited about having their boat in the water in a slip that is easy access to the water,” he said, as opposed to trailering the boat down. 

“But to have it on a dock, in a lift when they need to get access to the water ... they were all excited about it,” Sasser said. 

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“That would be incredible,” said Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden of having access in that area. 

“We’ve been trying to find something over there and one on Calhoun would be great,” Aden said. 

“It’s right there near Crab Island where we are patrolling 90 percent of the time,” he said. 

“We’d be all about it,” Aden said, in having a boat at the fire house dock. 

Sasser said where the dock will be will give “access to everything we need – location wise.” 

From the location, they can turn left and go into the Gulf of Mexico or Destin Harbor. In front of the property is Crab Island, the water playground where thousands gather, and then to the right is the bay and the Mid-Bay Bridge area.   

Sasser says they hope to get started on the new dock in January or February. 

They have already received the approval from DEP, Corps of Engineers and now they have the variance from the city council. 

“We’re ready to go ... we’re ready to kick this thing in gear,” he said. 

The new dock will be to the left of the existing dock. 

“We’re going to move ourselves away from the park,” he said. Clement Taylor Park is right next door on the north side. 

As for the material it will be built out of it, that has yet to be decided, although concrete would be more durable. 

“We’re going to bid it out and see if it’s doable,” Sasser said. 

And the existing dock, “We are planning on keeping it until we get something built, then tear it down,” Sasser said.