Fire Department · Career
Okeechobee County Fire Rescue
Okeechobee, FL · Okeechobee County
Fleet of four paramedic transport ambulances and four paramedic engines (plus reserve apparatus) run out of three year-round staffed stations, with mutual aid agreements with neighboring counties.
No active openings right now
Watch this department to be notified when Okeechobee County Fire Rescue is hiring, or check their careers page.
Department careers page ↗Okeechobee County Fire Rescue (OCFR) is the sole fire and EMS provider for all of Okeechobee County, Florida, operating out of the Public Safety Complex on NW 6th Street in the City of Okeechobee. The department blends full-time career firefighters with volunteers across three year-round staffed stations, ensuring a prompt response no matter where in the county an emergency occurs. Every OCFR firefighter is cross-trained as an EMT or paramedic, reflecting the department's combination fire-EMS model.
OCFR runs four paramedic transport ambulances and four paramedic engines, backed by reserve apparatus, and delivers Advanced Life Support EMS, fire suppression, fire prevention inspections, and public fire-and-life-safety education. Mutual aid agreements with neighboring counties extend the department's regional response network for larger incidents. A dedicated fire training tower at the Station 1 complex gives crews a multi-story structure for ongoing live-fire and rescue skills development.
Each station covers a distinct part of the county: Station 1 anchors central Okeechobee County and the City of Okeechobee and also serves as the department's logistics hub for equipment, EMS supplies, and uniforms; Station 2 covers the county's southern lakeside communities; and Station 4 covers the rural north county. The department operates under Public Safety Director/Fire Chief Justin Hazellief, alongside the county's Emergency Operations Center and 911 dispatch, which are co-located at the same Public Safety Complex.
MissionTo make Okeechobee the safest county possible, we will continuously strive for excellence in all aspects of fire rescue services essential to the health and well-being of our citizens and visitors.
Okeechobee County Fire Rescue hires through the Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners' central Human Resources office rather than a separate department portal. Applicants complete a BOCC Employment Application (resumes alone are not accepted) and submit it by email or in person; all offers are contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check and a post-offer drug test, consistent with the county's drug-free workplace policy. Verified veterans who meet a position's minimum competency factors are guaranteed an interview under Florida's veterans' preference rules. The department also relies on volunteers, who can pick up or download an application at the Public Safety Complex.
Requirements
- Complete an Okeechobee County BOCC Employment Application (resumes accepted but not a substitute for the application)
- Pass a satisfactory pre-employment background check
- Pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test
- Meet the position's minimum competency factors
Hiring process
- Submit a completed BOCC Employment Application by email or in person to County Human Resources
- Application screened against the position's minimum qualifications
- Interview (guaranteed for qualifying Veterans' Preference Eligible applicants)
- Conditional offer of employment
- Pre-employment background check and drug test
- Onboarding
How do I become a volunteer firefighter with Okeechobee County Fire Rescue?
Download the volunteer application from the career page on the county website, or stop by the Public Safety Complex at 707 NW 6th Street, Okeechobee, to pick up an application and get more information.
Why does an Okeechobee County Fire Rescue engine respond along with the ambulance for medical calls?
OCFR's fire engines are staffed with paramedics capable of Advanced Life Support care. For call types with a higher chance of needing advanced medical intervention, such as CPR or medication administration, dispatch sends the engine along with the ambulance so more paramedics can respond faster.
Who do I contact about an Okeechobee County Fire Rescue ambulance bill?
Call Fire Rescue at 863-763-5544 and ask for billing.
How do I schedule a fire inspection with Okeechobee County Fire Rescue?
For a Business Tax Receipt fire inspection, contact the Building Department, which schedules the Fire Inspector along with the Building Official. To renew an existing fire inspection license, contact Fire Marshal Keith Bourgault directly at the Public Safety Complex, 707 NW 6th Street, Okeechobee, at 863-763-5544.