The family of new Kissimmee Fire Department Lt. Spencer Goodwin pins on his insignia at Thursday's ceremony. (Photo/City of Kissimmee)
Generally, new and promoted city police officers and firefighters are sworn in at the start of Kissimmee City Commission meetings, in a chamber that holds about 150 people.
The Kissimmee Fire Department’s ceremony last week would have swamped that modest room – and likely violated the fire code for capacity – so it was moved to the more spacious Kissimmee Christian Church to accommodate the family, friends and co-workers of 33 firefighters who were either being sworn in as new hires or promoted engineers or lieutenants.
“This is a first for me in 39 years (of fire service),” said Kissimmee Fire Chief Jim Walls at Thursday’s ceremony, held while the daytime ‘A’ shift fought and contained without incident a brush fire on the north side of town. “City Hall wouldn’t have accommodated this, so we appreciate the pastor here. Last time we were here it was for a funeral, so we’re really happy to be here for this. ”
The hiring spike was needed to fill a fourth shift – the “D-Shift”, as the City Commission approved the KFD plan to have responders work a “24 (hours) on, 72 off” schedule rather than the “24 on, 48 off” that would allow for a 42-hour work week instead of a 56-hour week that would keep the firefighters more fresh. The new schedule goes into effect on Saturday, April 25.
“The additional day off will allow them to decompress and rest from working shifts that can be mentally and physically exhausting,” Walls said when the plan was approved last June.
But a new shift of firefighters costs money, and the city passed a new fire assessment fee of 56 cents per $1,000 of improvements to taxed parcels, and then an additional $105 per tax parcel. The assessment’s passage was a bit controversial, as residents and property owners asked city leaders to find other ways to fund the new firefighters instead of doing so through, in essence, a new tax.
Fast forward to this month, and now KFD has eight new lieutenants with 66 combined years of service in the department: Brandon Moore, Spencer Goodwin, Joshua Clark, David Losey, Hai Nguyen, Connor Quinn, Michelle Muckerman and Greg Lightbody.
The 10 promoted engineers have 83 years with KFD: Scott Watson, Rion Strum, Tino Coll-Cardenas, Ryan Wheeler, Jericho Watkins, Jeremy Needham, Matt Carrick, John Dombrosky, Renato Pimenta and Jacob Hunter, who was sworn in on his birthday with his parents, former KFD battalion chiefs, in attendance, making him second-generation KFD.
And, the 15 new hires were: Lazaro Gonzalez, Shawnjay Holtham, Stephen Zotti, Daniel Lewis, Christopher Steel, Fernando Negron, Christopher Scofield, Brithany Carrington, Jean Gomez, John Telford, Justin McLees, Jorgeandree Sical, Russell Robles, Dylan Perez and Armando Rodriguez.
In all, Walls said he’s hired and sworn 47 firefighters since September, a rate he calls “unprecedented”
And he said KFD isn’t done.
“We hope to continue with this motivation,” he said. “We have eight more firefighters in the pre-employment stage, so once they’re on board we will be 100 percent staffed. I really love where we’re headed. We’re like a big family.”
