POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – On a daily basis, dozens of firefighters at Polk County Fire Rescue are being forced to work mandatory overtime.
As the firefighters finish their normal 24-hour shifts, 10 to 20 employees are finding out they need to work an additional 24 hours, or face disciplinary action. According to Derek Walsh, the President of the Polk County Professional Firefighters Union, Polk County Fire Rescue is facing a major firefighter shortage. Walsh said the county has about 80 to 100 vacancies.
Walsh told 8 On Your Side that the union approached the county in 2015 with concerns about vacancies and the problem has grown worse over time. “We lost 437 people in the last five years, as of November. That’s almost the entire department,” Walsh said. The county has implemented an accelerated paramedic program to entice more applicants. Walsh said that is not enough.
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