Osceola County Fire Rescue & EMS received a $1 million Department of Homeland Security grant to help Officers and Chief Officers receive training and certification that measure standard knowledge and skills to best serve the public, the county announced Thursday.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) award will provide funding for Fire Officer I and Fire Officer II classes for Battalion Chiefs, Lieutenants, and Engineers who currently do not hold these certifications. The grant request was for the fees associated with tuition, books, state certification, the testing center cost and for some backfill costs.
The rescue unit received letters of support from Senator Marco Rubio and Congressman Darren Soto.
“I am thrilled that I was able to assist Osceola County Fire Rescue in securing this $1 million grant to help our fast-growing county protect and save lives,” said Soto, through a country release. “It is critical for Osceola County to invest in keeping the community safe. This Department of Homeland Security AFG grant will provide more training to our first responders to make sure they can successfully continue their mission to provide emergency planning, fire protection, and pre-hospital care at the highest level.”
Just as the county’s population has grown, Osceola County Fire Rescue has seen a continual increase in call volume — a 40.8 percent increase since 2010 with the County population increasing 39.8 percent (U.S. Census Bureau) in the same time frame.
“By providing our current and future officers the opportunity to train up to the NFPA 1021 standards for both Fire Officer 1 & 2 through this grant, we can help ensure that we are proactively working towards providing the best quality and professional services to the citizens of Osceola County,” Fire Chief Larry Collier said. “I’m grateful to all those who worked to successfully submit this grant, so that we can advance our department for the betterment of our residents and visitors.”
Osceola currently has two fire stations under construction — one off Boggy Creek Road in the Austin-Tindall area and the other off of Calypso Cay Way near State Road 535. In addition, as part of the 2022-2023 Budget just approved, construction of a third new station in the area of Funie Steed Road and Entry Point Boulevard near S.R. 429 will begin shortly. The county is also actively working to move the current station in Poinciana to a more efficient location, is how the County is addressing its level of service needs.
