Safety — Palm Bay, Florida

Palm Bay handles its own policing, fire rescue and emergency management through city departments on Malabar Road and Carlyle Avenue SE, while Brevard County announces sandbag sites and the Sheriff patrols outside city limits.

Two city departments carry most of the load. The Palm Bay Police Department works from 130 Malabar Rd SE with a sub-station at 1575 Main St NE, and its non-emergency automated line is (321) 952-3456. Palm Bay Fire Rescue and Emergency Management is headquartered at 899 Carlyle Avenue SE, phone (321) 409-6300, with administration hours of 7:30 am to 4:00 pm on weekdays.

Flood questions go to a third office. The city Flood Information page says floodplain administration and coordination of the Community Rating System for FEMA flood insurance are housed in the Growth Management Department at 120 Malabar Road SE, reachable at (321) 952-3400 ext. 5246.

The county fills the gaps the city does not cover. The Brevard County Sheriff precinct page says Sheriff precincts are based on the unincorporated areas of the county plus Cape Canaveral and Palm Shores, so Palm Bay addresses call the city police, not a deputy. The Palm Bay hurricane page leaves sandbag sites to Brevard County Emergency Management.

Palm Bay Fire Rescue lists eight fire stations covering the city 24 hours a day with fire and medical service, at addresses from Port Malabar Boulevard NE to DeGroodt Road SW and Mara Loma Blvd.

The Fire Rescue page warns that a station may not be staffed at all times because of emergency responses and assignments, and it tells residents to call 911 rather than call or go to a station. Its list starts with Station 1, whose Palm Bay Road location opened in 1967 before the move to 1201 Port Malabar Boulevard NE in October 2012, and it includes Station 7 at 2144 Palm Bay Road NE, opened in April 2026. A full station by station guide sits on the Palm Bay Fire Rescue page of this section.

Two city pages describe the southern stations differently. The Stations and Apparatus page shows Station 6 co-housed with Brevard County Fire Rescue Station 89 on DeGroodt Road SW, Station 8 as site work in progress at Malabar Rd SW and St. Johns Heritage Pkwy SW, and Station 9 as a temporary station near Babcock Rd SE and Mara Loma Blvd SE. The main Fire Rescue page lists Station 9 at 1683 SE Mara Loma Blvd as open, so each status is credited to its page here.

Police and fire also share an address run on Malabar Road: the city offices at 120 Malabar Road, Palm Bay Police headquarters at 130 Malabar Rd SE and Fire Station 2 at 150 Malabar Road SE, opened in 1982.

Palm Bay pushes storm alerts through AlertBrevard, asks households to keep at least three days of supplies, and notes that Brevard County Emergency Management may announce sandbag sites.

The Palm Bay hurricane page gives the Atlantic season as June 1 to November 30 and says the city relies on AlertBrevard for emergency notices delivered by phone call, email, text message and social media post. It recommends a supply kit with food, water and medications for at least 3 days, and Palm Bay Utilities also uses AlertBrevard to announce water service interruptions after a storm.

The city's storm guidance also covers yard debris. Once a storm is expected to make landfall within 72 hours, the Palm Bay page asks residents not to cut down trees or do major yard work, because collection of that debris before landfall is not guaranteed, and not to place materials at the curb during a watch or warning. Loose yard trash can end up in storm drains and canals and raise the flood risk.

Utility service is part of the plan. The Palm Bay hurricane page warns that sewer lift stations need power to pump wastewater to the treatment plant and that a loss of electricity can cause back-ups into homes and businesses, so residents may be asked to limit sewer use after a storm; households that plan to evacuate are told to shut off the main house water valve.

Sandbag distribution is announced by the county. The hurricane page says Brevard County Emergency Management may announce sandbag distribution locations before a storm and notes that sandbags are not necessary for every home. Palm Bay Fire Rescue also lists a Citizen Information Hotline at (321) 726-5683.

Palm Bay holds a Community Rating System rating of 7, which the city says equals a 15% reduction in FEMA flood insurance, and its flood hazards come from the Indian River Lagoon to the east and the St. Johns River and Marsh to the west.

The Palm Bay Flood Information page says that historically there has been little structural flood damage in Palm Bay even during major storms. The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map of March 17, 2014 removed approximately 2000 structures and over 5000 residential lots in Palm Bay from the Special Flood Hazard Area, replacing paper maps from 1989.

Building in a flood zone runs through the Palm Bay Building Department. The floodplain review fee is $60.00 for residential or commercial structures, including sheds, and the department keeps floodplain reviews with FEMA Elevation Certificates issued since 1993. Questions about zone determinations, Base Flood Elevations and LOMA applications go to Growth Management at 120 Malabar Road SE.

Neighborhood drainage is the everyday side of flooding. The Palm Bay Stormwater FAQ says swales hold minor storm water for up to 72 hours, and standing water beyond that may point to a drainage problem to report to Palm Bay Public Works Customer Service.

Palm Bay Fire Rescue runs sharps disposal at Stations 1 and 4 and free smoke detector battery checks for elderly or disabled residents, and the police department keeps two video-monitored Safe Exchange Zones.

The Fire Rescue page says Palm Bay Fire Stations 1 and 4 and Brevard County Station 83 at 5148 Minton Rd NW are the only designated sharps disposal spots in Palm Bay, and containers may not be left unattended. Fire Rescue does not accept medicines for disposal. The smoke detector section gives (321) 726-2663 for battery checks, while the phone directory on the same page lists Smoke Detector Checks at (321) 726-2625.

The Palm Bay Police page sets out two Safe Exchange Zones for custody handoffs and online sales, in front of 130 Malabar Rd SE and 1575 Main St NE, both under video surveillance at all times.

Last verified: October 12, 2026, on the Palm Bay Fire Rescue, Police and Flood Information pages of the City of Palm Bay website.