Giving Back
Members are active in the community to include helping spruce up a homes of widows and a veterans.
Working with the Florence Villa CDC along with Gator Pressure Washing & Painting along with other community partners, homes get a good cleaning and fresh coats of paint.
Fire and Life Safety Education
One of the most important jobs in the fire department is educating our young and old alike on the importance of Fire and Life Safety. This includes but is not limited to child public education and awareness, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, Automated External Defibrillators (AED), child safety seats, bicycle safety and 911 education.
Child Public Education and Awareness
- Education Station Tours: The Winter Haven Fire Department provides fire department station tours to schools, after school programs, summer camp programs, church groups and the like for a fun learning environment focusing on the importance of fire safety while showcasing the station and apparatus.
- Education at Schools: When requested the department will send an engine to a school for fire safety lessons. This includes a tour of the engine and to meet the members of the department. This is mostly occurs in October during fire prevention month but can also be requested at other times.
- Fire Safety House: The fire safety house is a custom educational tool used to teach children the importance of fire and hazardous weather safety. Simulating life like conditions using multi-media, puppets and simulators making a fun learning environment for all.
Children under safe conditions (pictured below) learn how to crawl out and stay low for escape in a simulated house fire. These hands on learning tools are very productive in teaching our most valuable citizens the importance in life safety.
Honor Guard
When it comes to pride and tradition of a fire department nothing can symbolize that more than a departments honor guard. Honor Guards are a silent reminder for those that have fallen and those we celebrate in accomplishment.
Representing the department as a whole for dedicated devotion to protecting those in need during unforeseen circumstance, their families and the citizens that the department protects and serves.
The Honor Guard participates in:
- Funerals for Line of Duty Deaths (LODD)
- Funerals for retired fire department personnel and to support their family members.
- Graduation and honor ceremonies.
- Parades
- Dedications
- Award Ceremonies
- Sporting Events
Emergency Response Safety Team (ERST)
The Emergency Response Safety Team is a specialized medical team utilized when fire apparatus are not practical at large populated events. Using bicycles or on foot wearing medical backpacks to easily make access to a patient if an emergency arrises. They can also provide first aid stations at public gatherings. Some of the events you will find the Emergency Response Safety Team:
- 5k/10k Races
- Art Festivals
- Downtown Events
- Holliday Gatherings
- Parades
- Sporting Events
Explorer Program (Reinstating 2023)
The Explorer Program will be revamped and reinstated soon. The Program is designed specifically for young adults 14 – 21 years of age to have the experience of being a firefighter while maintaining a safe atmosphere. They will perform and interact with:
- Station Duties
- Equipment checks
- Firefighter Training
- Riding on the Fire Apparatus
- Responding to Emergency Incidents
Many of our previous explorers have gone on to be full-time firefighters for the City of Winter Haven and other fire departments in the area. Information will be posted and advertised once the Program is set to launch.
Breast Cancer Awareness T-Shirt Campaign
During October for the last two years the Winter Haven Professional Firefighters Local 4967 designs and sells t-shirts for the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Cancer impacts everyone. The support from the residents, businesses, community and union members has made this fundraiser a huge success.
All proceeds raised goes directly to the Winter Haven Women’s Hospital Breast and Imaging Center. Make sure to stop by Fire Station One this October for a newly designed shirt to show off your support in fighting cancer.
