Holmes County, Fla. (WDNews) — Holmes County volunteer fire departments will officially transition under the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office beginning June 1, 2026, following a unanimous vote by county commissioners Tuesday morning.
According to the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, commissioners voted 5-0 during the county commission meeting to approve the move. Sheriff John Tate said fire chiefs from each volunteer department were briefed on the transition ahead of the meeting and expressed support for the change.
“Sheriff John Tate is excited to announce that during this morning’s county commission meeting, the commissioners voted unanimously, 5-0, to transfer the county volunteer fire departments to the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office effective June 1, 2026,” the sheriff’s office stated.
The sheriff’s office also announced the hiring of Jeff McVay as Holmes County Fire Chief. McVay recently retired from Walton County Fire Rescue after 30 years of service in the fire industry.
“Many of the local fire departments already know and respect Chief McVay, and we are excited to have his leadership and experience guiding Holmes County Fire Rescue moving forward,” the release stated.
Sheriff Tate and Chief McVay are expected to meet with municipal leaders in the coming weeks to discuss the possibility of city fire departments partnering with the county’s new fire rescue structure.
“We are excited about this new addition to HCSO and eager to get started making positive changes for the citizens of Holmes County through Holmes County Fire Rescue,” the sheriff’s office stated.
Officials said additional announcements regarding Holmes County Fire Rescue are expected in the near future.
