Seminole faces stiff competition for recruits as fire services look to expand

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Across Florida, the need for firefighters and paramedics is at an all-time high.

In Seminole County, the shortage of first responders comes at a point when the agency is looking to expand its fire services to meet the growing population.

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Like many counties in Florida, the Seminole County Fire Department faces some stiff competition for recruits as they try to fill their ranks.

“Well, there’s really some unbelievable competition going on right now, it seems like everybody in the state is hiring,” said Chief Matt Kinley.

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Seminole County Fire Lt. Paul Hammerl said another factor is that many agencies are seeing longtime firefighters retiring.

“We have a lot of people retiring in the next couple years. So it’s good to kind of get out there and get to these younger kids, and kind of inspire them or open their eyes towards this sort of a career path, and really get going early,” Hammerl said.

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Seminole County said they have hired 100 new firefighters and paramedics in the last year.

More information on a career with the Seminole County Fire Department can be found here.

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