Emergency Management
This division offers programs to plan, coordinate, and train government and volunteer personnel in emergency preparedness. All city and volunteer units are combined under one countywide emergency management organization to safeguard residents during massive accidents, civil disorders, or natural disasters. This division develops emergency plans and hazard mitigation plans for all chemical facilities in the county. In times of disaster or any major emergency, all the actions by the Public Safety Department, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and volunteers are coordinated by the Emergency Management Director and the Public Safety Director.

The Addressing Office assigns all new building addresses and coordinates with various County agencies to ensure there is no duplication of street names or building numbers within emergency response zones.

Emergency Medical Services
The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Division responds to all emergency medical calls and provides the only ambulance (EMS) service within Polk County. There are 22 EMS stations countywide, with 27 Advanced Life Support units and three (3) Basic Life Support units. The Advanced Life Support units are on duty 24 hours-a-day. This division oversees the 9-1-1 emergency communications center and dispatches all ambulance and county fire vehicles.

EMS also transports patients that have a medical necessity condition that requires Basic Life Support to area medical facilities both in and out of the county. The EMS billing office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you have a true emergency, remember to call 911.

Fire Services
Fire Services has 32 fire stations manned with full-time and/or volunteer staff who answer fire rescue calls in the unincorporated areas of Polk County. Fire Services also handles all emergencies related to hazardous chemicals and provides a HAZMAT Team trained to cope with hazardous incidents.

The Fire Marshal’s office inspects commercial and industrial properties as well as doing plans review and regular fire safety inspections for all unincorporated Polk County and several cities. The Fire Marshal’s office provides fire prevention education programs and activities for schools, industrial facilities, and civic organizations.

Medical Examiner District 10
The Public Safety Department provides support to the Medical Examiner’s Office in the performance of its duties pursuant to Florida Statutes, Chapter 406. The following services are provided by the Medical Examiner’s Office: investigate and determine the cause of death; determine at time of examination whether or not an autopsy is necessary; perform autopsies when certain circumstances deem it necessary; provide transportation of the decedent to the morgue; provide physical examination and review of medical records (views); provide transcription of dictated autopsy and visual examination reports; attend trials and depositions as needed; and issue cremation authorization.