The body of the child who disappeared while swimming in a lake was recovered Thursday, according to the Polk County Sheriff's ...

Polk County officials are asking residents to take donations for wildfire crews to two designated locations rather than local ...

Polk County law enforcement is searching for a teenager who went missing while swimming in Lake Roy in Winter Haven.

Smith has served in various roles within the department since 2003. The Polk County Commission voted to approve Shawn Smith on Tuesday to serve as the new Fire Rescue Chief. Smith was ...

Polk County ... issues at Fire Rescue. But he told his colleagues the issue of staffing the county’s fire responders “has completely blown my mind.” “Of a department of 700 people ...

(WFLA) — Polk County Fire Rescue has the go-ahead from county commissioners to hire 75 new firefighters and paramedics. The problem is the department ... a week which is 12 hours above a normal ...

There are about 60 vacancies within Polk County's Fire Rescue Division. Attracting and retaining employees has plagued the department for decades. Hall said the excessive overtime is partly to blame.

(WFLA) — “To be honest with you, I didn’t like the way things were going,” said newly-appointed Polk County Fire Rescue Chief Shawn Smith. Chief Smith, 51, has seen the department change ...

Shawn Smith, who started with Polk Fire Rescue in 2003, has been interim chief since the resignation of former Chief Hezedean Smith in September.