diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6f656df..5ffb22e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -36,6 +36,16 @@ The API requires environment variables for connection with Postgres.
 - `PG_USER`
 - `PG_PASSWORD`
 
+It also requires a Google Firebase service account credentials file, which must be named `service_account.json`.
+
 ### Running the frontend
 
-The frontend requires one environment variable, `VUE_APP_MAPBOX_TOKEN` to be set. This Mapbox key is used for geocoding queries.
+The frontend requires environment variables for Mapbox geocoding queries and for Firebase. These variables will be publicly viewable and built into the app.
+
+- `VUE_APP_MAPBOX_TOKEN`
+- `VUE_APP_FIREBASE_API_KEY`
+- `VUE_APP_FIREBASE_AUTH_DOMAIN`
+- `VUE_APP_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID`
+- `VUE_APP_FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET`
+- `VUE_APP_FIREBASE_MESSAGING_SENDER_ID`
+- `VUE_APP_FIREBASE_APP_ID`
diff --git a/frontend/src/firebase.js b/frontend/src/firebase.js
index a19e80b..5e3756c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/firebase.js
+++ b/frontend/src/firebase.js
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
 import { initializeApp } from "firebase/app";
 import { getAuth } from "firebase/auth";
 import { getFirestore } from "firebase/firestore";
-import { firebaseConfig } from "./firebaseConfig.js";
+
+const firebaseConfig = {
+  apiKey: process.env.VUE_APP_FIREBASE_API_KEY,
+  authDomain: process.env.VUE_APP_FIREBASE_AUTH_DOMAIN,
+  projectId: process.env.VUE_APP_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID,
+  storageBucket: process.env.VUE_APP_FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET,
+  messagingSenderId: process.env.VUE_APP_MESSAGING_SENDER_ID,
+  appId: process.env.VUE_APP_FIREBASE_APP_ID,
+};
 
 const firebaseApp = initializeApp(firebaseConfig);