Each year, at signing ceremonies across the country, student-athletes don the colors of their intended college and commit to attend and play for that school in exchange for a scholarship.
This year, in a pilot program developed by the Osceola County Fire Rescue & EMS in coordination with the Board of County Commissioners and the county’s Human Resources Department, 20 Osceola County high school graduates attended similar “career signing” ceremonies as part of their journey to become first responders. Donning official Osceola County Fire Rescue EMS hats, these graduates enrolled as the Department’s first-ever class of full-time, non-certified firefighter candidates, known as Fire Cadets.
The cadets will be full-time employees with Osceola County during their training and certification process. Each cadet will earn a full-time salary and employee benefits – including insurance, retirement, vacation time, and more – while they are enrolled in certification coursework through Valencia College.
“This initiative is the first of its kind for us,” said Fire Rescue EMS Division Chief John Murphy. “We’ve sponsored partially certified firefighter candidates through some training, but this is the first time we’ve started with cadets at step one. It’s really exciting to be able to be part of their journey at this formative stage.”
Statewide, Florida is facing a rising deficit of qualified firefighters, with 1,469 current vacancies and 3,961 new vacancies expected in the next five years. In Osceola County - one of the fastest-growing counties in the state – the push to recruit locally stems from a need for the department to meet the ever-increasing public safety needs of the county.
Osceola County Fire Rescue & EMS has recently opened two new fire stations, with three more stations planned to open within the next five years. This, along with some anticipated employee retirements, presents significant staffing needs for the department. The cadet program is one of several avenues the department is exploring to increase recruitment and retention within the department.
“Our responsibility as a department is ensuring that we are not only recruiting to maintain our staffing and grow with our community, but also creating a career-oriented environment that encourages our firefighters to serve with our department long-term,” Murphy said. “By recruiting locally here in Osceola County, we are able to engage with public service-minded young men and women who already have a connection to our community. There’s something really special about being able to serve your hometown community, and we’re happy that we can offer these cadets a clear pathway to pursue this career.”
The new cadets will begin their Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification coursework this summer before moving to Florida Firefighting Standards in the fall. Once they complete their coursework and certifications, the cadets will transition to their initial training as probationary firefighters with Fire Rescue EMS.
