VIDEO: The Navarre Beach Fire Department wants to become a state-recognized fire district.
Right now, they're privately owned.
Fire Chief Danny Fureigh is asking the county to approve a non-binding referendum on the county's special election ballot in August to gauge how voters feel.
Fureigh said state lawmakers want to know they have the community's support before they ask the legislature to make the Navarre Beach Fire Department state-recognized.
He told Channel 3 News he wants his full-time firefighters to retire with a state pension.
Right now, the privately-owned department can't fund that.
Fureigh said the change will also allow the department to apply for state funding for new equipment.
"So, what it's actually doing is rewarding our firefighters with a pension. We have some great firemen here who have been here a long time and they deserve a good pension," said Fureigh.