County recognizes first responders and unveils Clay County Fire Rescue recruitment video

At the Jan. 10 meeting, Clay County commissioners recognized dozens of county first responders for deployments to Hurricane Ian response missions in Southwest Florida and presented plaques to team leaders and incident management staff who participated in search-and-rescue, logistics and marine missions.

Emergency Management Director John Ward described missions to Fort Myers Beach, Cape Coral and nearby islands and said Clay County teams contributed law enforcement, fire rescue, dispatch and incident-management personnel on multiple 14‑ to 20‑day rotations. Ward reported an estimated combined reimbursement figure of roughly $788,000 for manpower and equipment costs submitted to the state under a statewide mutual-aid arrangement.

The board also recognized the Clay County Fire Rescue paramedicine team, led by Battalion Chief Lehi East and Lieutenant Steve Teal, with an ‘Excellence in Public Safety’ award from the Northeast Florida Regional Council. Presenters said the paramedicine program has seen a 28% year-over-year decrease in overdoses and 45 individuals who began medication-assisted treatment have remained in care for more than one year; presenters credited federal grant funding for staffing that supports the program’s outreach and Narcan distribution.

Separately, the county’s communications director, Laura Christmas, and Chief Moats presented an in-house recruitment video for Clay County Fire Rescue intended to boost hiring. Christmas described in-house production and analytics capabilities; Chief Moats said the department sees the video as part of broader recruitment outreach including military job fairs and community engagement to increase applicant pools.

Commissioners applauded the recognitions and encouraged sharing the recruitment materials across social platforms and community events.