Food trucks would be barred from operating at gas stations and other businesses that sell flammable petroleum products under a proposal by Jacksonville City Council member Joe Carlucci.
Carlucci said he introduced the proposal, contained in Ordinance 2025-0159, after constituents called him with concerns over food trucks operating near gasoline pumps at convenience stores.
He said the purpose is not to impede the local food truck business -- “I love food trucks,” he said -- but to protect public safety.
“The goal is really quite simple: Prevent highly combustible food trucks at a highly combustible gas station,” Carlucci told the Jacksonville Planning Commission at its March 20 meeting, adding that Jacksonville Fire Chief Keith Powers supported the bill.
The Jacksonville Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the ordinance, for which the city Planning and Zoning Department staff also recommended approval.
The National Fire Protection Association reports that fires and explosions in food trucks have become more common as the trucks have grown in popularity in recent years.
The NFPA says no data exists specifically on food truck fires, as some are classified as vehicle fires and some as restaurant fires. Between 2018 and 2022, NFPA data shows, an estimated 15,000 fires occurred annually in eating and drinking establishments, causing a yearly average of four deaths, 114 injuries and nearly $215 million in property losses.
In an interview, Carlucci said the ordinance was designed not only to protect gas stations but neighboring properties as well. The kitchens in food trucks generally are powered by propane tanks, which can create a hazard through leaks in valves and lines.
The NFPA says food trucks that aren’t properly maintained can be particularly dangerous. Clogged grease traps, malfunctioning electrical systems and improper use of cooking equipment are common causes of food truck fires in addition to faulty propane systems.
In a 2015 NFPA podcast, host Jesse Roman said the explosive power of some food truck propane tanks was equivalent to 170 sticks of dynamite.
Carlucci said fire safety equipment in food trucks differs widely from vehicle to vehicle. He said he inspected one food truck in Jacksonville that had no fire suppression equipment.
He said online videos of food truck fires show they are “not like a little fire, it’s like a bomb.”
“You have huge propane tanks, you have electrical wiring and then you have an enclosed space. So literally one spark, and it’s like you see in the movies,” he said.
In 2020, the Florida Legislature approved restricting local governments from imposing licensing, registration, permitting and fees for food truck operations. The so-called “food truck freedom” legislation was in response to a lawsuit filed by food truck owners against the city of Fort Pierce alleging that its restrictions were excessive.
The legislation allows local governments to impose restrictions on food trucks via zoning codes, which is what Carlucci’s ordinance would do.
The ordinance would prohibit food trucks from operating in commercial and industrial properties that sell gasoline or other flammable petroleum products.
At the Planning Commission meeting, no one but Carlucci spoke on the ordinance.
Carlucci and Council member Rahman Johnson held a March 18 public hearing on the ordinance, which drew several food truck operators.
“There were several in attendance who are doing it the right way, and they supported the bill because they follow the rules,” he said.