Patrick Moore (left) and Lt. Nick Peppard are two of the paid firefighters working the Holley by the Sea fire station for Holley-Navarre Fire Department. They participate in community events and social activities when they are not busy protecting their neighborhood, which is one of Northwest Florida’s most desirable developments. Holley by the Sea residents can rest assured that anytime there is a medical or fire emergency, someone can be at their door within minutes.

One of Holley-Navarre Fire Department’s two stations is located near U.S. Highway 98 in Holley by the Sea, Navarre’s largest residential neighborhood. It is manned by two paid firefighters and often a trained volunteer or two on-site, 24 hours, every day of the year.

Lt.-EMT Nick Peppard not only works at the HBTS station; he lives in the neighborhood.

“Living so close to work is really nice,” Peppard says. “It makes it easy. For three years, before coming to the Holley-Navarre Department, I worked as a firefighter in Mary Esther and lived in Mary Esther. I was one of the first hires when Holley-Navarre went to a paid department in 2008.

Pam Brannon/Splash! Magazine “When I got assigned here, I bought a house in Holly by the Sea. It is so much better.”

There are six paid firefighters assigned to HBTS station, with two on duty together during any 24-hour shift.

“We have 24 hours on and supposedly 48 hours off; that is our shift schedule,” Peppard said. “But if we get a house fire while we are supposed to be off, and we are available, we come in, of course.”

Patrick Moore, who works with Peppard, lives across the highway from Holley by the Sea.

“I am not officially living inside Holley by the Sea boundaries, but I feel like I live here,” he laughs. “I actually live closer to the fire station than some of the firefighters who do live inside the Holley by the Sea boundary. Working at the station and dealing with so many Holley by the Sea people every day, I feel like I am part of that community.”

Firefighters have seen a large increase in calls since the station opened as an allvolunteer station in 2003, and even since it became a full-time paid station in 2008. When the first station opened, four days passed before the first call came in. Now the department responds to a conservative average of three to four calls per shift.

“My last 24-hour shift this week, we answered five calls,” Peppard said.

The firefighters do everything from fighting house fires to getting cats out of trees.

“If there are not bullets involved, they usually call us first,” Moore said. “We help with traffic crashes on the highway, medical emergencies, whatever is needed.”

They also provide mutual aid for Midway Fire District and sometimes Gulf Breeze Fire and Rescue.

“We responded to the last big fire on Pensacola Beach when they needed extra hands,” Peppard said. “We are ready to go wherever we are needed.”



Is there a person or family with an interesting story that you would like to see featured in Splash! by the Sea?

Send your story ideas to Scott Page, Splash! editor, at scott@gulfbreezenews.com or phone (850) 932-8986.

Splash! by the Sea also encourages HBTS residents to share photos of family outings, pets, recreation activities, birth announcemnts, engagements and other news of interest to be published in Gulf Breeze News. Submit to: news@gulfbreeze news.com.