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Polk County to hire 75 new firefighters to improve work-life balance, reduce high turnover

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Published  February 20, 2025 5:10pm EST
Polk County
FOX 13 News

Polk County looking to hire more first responders

FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports on Polk County working to fill dozens of jobs for new firefighter, paramedic, and EMT positions, with the overall goal being to cut down on the amount of overtime first responders are working.

The Brief

    • Polk County will soon hire 75 new firefighters.
    • The goal is to cut down on overtime and give better work-life balance for first responders.
    • Funding for the new hires will come from the county's general fund and the fire general fund.

POLK COUNTY, Fla. - Polk County will soon be looking to fill dozens of new firefighter, paramedic and EMT positions to reduce overtime hours-- a move the head of the local firefighter's union is calling "a step in the right direction."

The backstory:

Polk County Fire Rescue doesn't have a problem attracting and hiring talent. In fact, the VP of the IFF Local 3531 says they hire 100 people each year. Their problem is retention.

"What ends up happening is we're hiring all these people to simply replace the firefighters going elsewhere that have a better schedule and more money," said Tom Konze. 

Currently, the department has 606 firefighters whom Konze says have to work 68 hours a week, which greatly affects their mental and physical health.

By the numbers:

County commissioners approved more than $9 million Tuesday to hire 75 more firefighters so they can reduce overtime work hours.

"These additional positions will improve the work-life balance of all first responders within the Polk County Fire Rescue division and should translate to a more productive and energized work force," said County Manager William Beasley. 

Polk County Fire Rescue responds to about 130,000 calls per year. That's more than Hillsborough County and other surrounding counties. 

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Konze says lack of staffing thankfully has not affected response times. 

His ultimate goal is to reduce their number of hours worked, which means hiring additional people. His target number is 300.

"We do plan on going back to the negotiation table with the county in the next couple of months to start working out ideas and a plan to implement a reduced work week," said Konze.

Funding for these hires will come from the county's general fund and the fire general fund.

What they're saying:

 In a statement to FOX 13, Interim Fire Chief Shawn Smith said: "Polk County Fire Rescue is excited for the additional 75 positions. These positions can cut down on overtime for our members and allow for a better work-life balance once these positions are filled.  This is a step forward for our organization, and we are thankful for the County Commissioners’ and county staff’s support in approving this measure."

The Source: Information for the story was gathered by FOX 13 reporter Carla Bayron.

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