Holley-Navarre Fire District race
For HNFD’s commission, incumbent Christopher Tingle faces off against Jason Rocco.
Tingle, who has served two years on the commission, is currently a student at Florida State University and is studying accounting and finance.
He said he ran for the commission to make a meaningful difference in his community and bring a different perspective to the fire board. Tingle, who is in his 20s, said he is proud that the commission, with the approval of voters, helped increase the firefighters’ starting pay this year.
“Now our firefighters are finally making more than the same minimum wage that anyone can get by working at any other establishment that requires none of the extensive training, responsibility, or personal sacrifice required to become a firefighter,” Tingle said. “Without this meaningful change in compensation, Holley-Navarre risked losing the most valuable firefighters in our district to other fire departments in the surrounding area and across the country.
“Properly compensating firefighters allows Holley-Navarre to retain the cream of the crop and to attract additional quality firefighters to support the expansion of Station 44, the fire station that services the Holley area.”
He said challenges moving forward include ensuring that additional resources in Holley and elsewhere are used to reduce response times and that the district is able to bring in additional firefighters.
A 12-year Marine veteran, Rocco has spent over a decade as a firefighter/EMT. He also spent time in law enforcement.
Rocco said he is running to be a trusted voice on the board, someone who knows the firefighters serving the district and who has experience in the fire service. Additionally, Rocco said he wanted to serve after getting an up-close look at the fire district when his son participated in the district’s cadet program.
“Seeing the positive influence they’ve had on my son and the commitment they demonstrate to the young people in our community gave me an even deeper appreciation for the department and the people who make it what it is,” Rocco said. “It reinforced something I already believed: This department is filled with good people doing great things, and I want to be part of helping them become even more successful.”
Rocco has lived in Navarre for 12 years.
He said the biggest challenge the district faces is ensuring it matches community growth with adequate staffing. With community growth comes more demand on HNFD and its resources.
“I want to help ensure our firefighters have the support, resources and opportunities they need to continue providing the highest level of service possible, while also being responsible and accountable to the taxpayers who place their trust in us,” Rocco said.
Navarre Beach Fire Rescue District race
In the Navarre Beach race, Kenneth Huete, the incumbent, faces William “Bill” Heineken.
A retired director of maintenance for Chevron, Huete has served on the commission since January 2023. He said he chose to become a commissioner after being approached by then-Chief Daniel Fureigh. He has served as both treasurer and secretary on the commission.
According to Huete, the biggest issue facing the district is managing rising operational costs while maintaining an exceptional level of medical and emergency expertise.
“Historically, firefighter compensation has lagged behind what is needed to support a family, and our department faces that same reality,” Huete said. “Unfortunately, projected revenue sources did not materialize as forecasted.
“This shortfall, combined with inflationary cost increases that mirror what everyone in our community is experiencing, has created a demanding financial environment.”
Heineken, who has lived in Navarre since 2020, said he is running to address equipment and resource needs within the district and create better oversight over the fire chief.
According to Heineken, his background is in nuclear engineering. He worked with a nuclear weapons complex for 35 years, managing high-risk operations and the safety of his colleagues.
“Significant tasks in managing these aging facilities were developing scope for maintenance, requesting budget and executing tasks within budget,” Heineken said. “Budgeting was a multiyear plan, so I championed the development of a system health monitoring process that focused on the core mission of each facility, identified weaknesses and developed projects for reducing mission risk.”
He said this experience will come in handy on the commission.
The biggest challenges Heineken sees for NBFRD are maintaining the district’s fire and emergency response capabilities amid rising equipment costs.
“I would support publishing a multi-year plan that forecasts the needs over multiple years,” Heineken said.
The election is Nov. 3. Early voting has already started.