VIDEO: The Orlando Fire Department believes it has figured out how to hire the best, most passionate and most committed firefighters who will work harder for the community they serve. For almost a year, OFD has been recruiting future firefighters from Orlando-area high schools and at Orlando-area job fairs, even advertising in Orlando.
OFD then pays for the recruitsโ fire and EMS training and provides a base salary to assist the recruits with living expenses. Once the recruits complete the training, they become certified OFD firefighters and hit the streets of Orlando. Previously, the Orlando Fire Department only hired certified firefighters who had either completed the training on their own or through another agency which meant pulling from a much smaller pool of people. Orlando Fire Department Chief Charlie Salazar called the new recruiting program โgame-changingโ compared to the difficulty of trying to find certified, qualified, passionate and local candidates.
