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.

Officials in Polk County said there are three wildfires currently burning. The Black Cover Fire and Deep Woods Fire each have ...

(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 ...

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 Fire Rescue union members voted to ratify a ... shift are changes that could also create a destination fire department in Polk County, as opposed to a steppingstone agency for ...

Expect a mass hiring spree for Polk ... 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 ...

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