Indian River Shores Public Safety Department

Police, fire and emergency medical service in Indian River Shores all come from one town agency, the Indian River Shores Public Safety Department, whose officers are trained to do all three jobs.

The department's About Us page says its officers provide law enforcement, fire rescue and emergency medical services, and that roughly 20 officers hold certification in all three: police, fire and EMS (Indian River Shores Public Safety Department, About Us). The arrangement grew in steps. The Town of Indian River Shores organized a one-man police force in 1973, began building its own fire station in 1975, and after several short years merged the two into a single Public Safety Department. The page places the town between the Atlantic Ocean coastline and the Indian River.

The Fire Rescue page describes the same model from the fire side: the department calls itself a fully integrated public safety agency whose personnel are cross-trained in fire rescue, emergency medical services and law enforcement (Indian River Shores Fire Rescue). The department's stated mission is to deliver law enforcement, fire protection and emergency medical services as one team with one mission, with rapid, all-hazards response and advanced care.

For anything that is not an emergency, the Indian River Shores Public Safety Department posts one main line, (772) 231-2451, and a front lobby at 6001 Highway A1A; true emergencies go to 911.

The department's pages carry the same contact block: 6001 Highway A1A, Indian River Shores, FL 32963, phone (772) 231-2451, front lobby open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, and 911 for emergencies only (Indian River Shores public safety contact block). The town's Fire Marshal, who sits under Town Administration, is reached through the town line, 772-231-1771, at extension 246, and keeps office hours of 8:00am to 4:30pm on weekdays with a daily closure from 12:00pm to 1:00pm (Indian River Shores Fire Marshal page).

On the police side, Indian River Shores officers give 24-hour response along the town's stretch of A1A and its beaches, with separate traffic and marine units.

The department's Police page says officers patrol approximately 7 square miles of A1A and its beaches, serving over 4,000 residents, and provide 24-hour response service (Indian River Shores Police page). Patrol units handle traffic control, accident investigations and funeral escorts, and they assist other local agencies. A Traffic Unit enforces Florida traffic laws and helps at traffic crashes.

The Indian River Shores police Marine Unit patrols the waterways of the Atlantic and the Indian River to raise awareness of boating safety rules, responds to distress calls, deals with derelict vessels, and runs search and rescue. According to the same page, officers spend hundreds of hours each year on training to keep state certifications, with yearly training in firearms, vehicle operations, defensive tactics, agency policies and field training, and the department runs a Field Training Evaluation Program. Because many officers are cross trained in fire rescue and emergency services, the Police page says they can respond to a crisis efficiently as first responders.

The Fire Rescue Division of the Indian River Shores Public Safety Department covers fire suppression, emergency medical care, hazardous materials and water rescue around the clock.

The Fire Rescue page says the division serves the community twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, responding to fire emergencies, medical incidents, hazardous materials events, marine emergencies, ocean rescues and emergency management operations (Indian River Shores Fire Rescue Division). Fire suppression is backed by Advanced Life Support fire apparatus and a fully equipped ladder truck, and the department keeps mutual aid partnerships with neighboring agencies for large emergencies.

Medical calls are handled by Emergency Medical Technicians and paramedics who assess, treat, stabilize and transport patients at both Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support levels. A Marine Unit trained for marine rescue, vessel emergencies and night operations responds on the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River Lagoon around Indian River Shores. The page adds that department personnel complete thousands of hours of continuing education and practical training each year, covering fire tactics, emergency medical care, marine operations, hazardous materials, technical rescue, incident command and fire prevention.

Fire code work for businesses and events in Indian River Shores goes through the town Fire Marshal, who inspects commercial occupancies and issues fire permits.

The Fire Marshal page says the office makes sure all commercial occupancies comply with the Florida Fire Prevention Code and other adopted NFPA standards, through fire and life safety inspections at commercial occupancies and special events during the year (Town of Indian River Shores Fire Marshal). Its listed duties are fire and life safety inspections, fire permitting, special events, firework displays, fire code education, fire plan review, fire code compliance and enforcement, and special magistrate hearings for non-compliance. The Fire Marshal works directly with the town Building Official.

The page carries links to apply for a permit and make a payment, and it sends inspection requests to the MGO Connect Customer portal, where applicants search for inspection requests and results. For homeowners, the Indian River Shores page posts home fire safety tip sheets on grilling, vacation rental safety, electrical safety, lithium-ion batteries and 9-volt batteries, along with the 8th Edition Florida Fire Prevention Code, the town ordinance on fire prevention and the Life Safety Code, and NFPA material on fire hydrant accessibility.

Yes, the Indian River Shores Public Safety Department is accredited under Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation standards and has held that status since 2009.

The department's Accreditation page describes accreditation as certification by an independent reviewing authority that an agency meets prescribed standards, and says the department's policies, procedures, training and operations must meet or exceed the more than 300 standards the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation requires (Indian River Shores Public Safety accreditation). The page counts the department as one of over 140 law enforcement agencies in Florida to reach accreditation status.

The Indian River Shores page says an accreditation team acts as the main liaison with the commission's assessors and coordinates the required documentation and reviews.

In a hurricane or other disaster, the Indian River Shores Public Safety Department works alongside Indian River County Emergency Management; county officials issue evacuation orders, and residents with special medical needs register in advance with the county.

The department's Emergency Management page lists its partners as Indian River County Emergency Management, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, FEMA and regional agencies, and encourages residents to sign up for AlertIndianRiver notifications on severe weather, evacuation notices, road closures and recovery (Indian River Shores Emergency Management page). It says evacuation orders may be issued by county officials. Residents with special medical needs should register in advance with the county; the page says that, as of January 2025, the registration form moved online to the Florida Department of Health, and a paper copy can be requested at (772) 226-3900.

The page names two designated shelters. Liberty Magnet School, 6850 81st Street, Vero Beach, FL 32967, is the county's pet-friendly evacuation shelter, where owners must bring a crate and proof of a current rabies vaccination and a county license for the pet if applicable, and space is first come, first served. Treasure Coast Elementary School, 8955 85th Street, Sebastian, FL 32958, is the special needs shelter. After a disaster, the page points survivors to FEMA at disasterassistance.gov or (800) 621-3362, and its supply checklist calls for one gallon of water per person per day for at least seven days. The town's flood rules are covered in the Indian River Shores flood protection guide on Digital Towns. Last verified: October 22, 2026, with the department's About Us, Police, Fire Rescue, Accreditation and Emergency Management pages and the town Fire Marshal page each re-read that day.