The first year of any job is a time to show off your skillset, form relationships with co-workers, and earn your place within the company. Certainly, this is true too of the fire service – a career in which daily tasks can range from station cleaning duties or taking life-saving measures on the scene of a car wreck, to purposely walking into a burning building. Giving a rookie’s perspective to what life is like in the fire service is Lakeland firefighters Peterson Theophile.

Lieutenant Damian Motsinger has been with the Lakeland Fire Department for the entirety of his fire career – over 11 years. His grandfather was a volunteer fire chief and his great uncle was a Lakeland firefighter years ago. The idea to follow in their footsteps crossed his mind as a kid. Both he and his sister did eventually pursue their fire standards and carry on the family tradition. Now a Lieutenant, how Motsinger leads his crew was influenced by a few mentors throughout

Born on Florida’s east coast, Jessica Bryant went to Florida Institute of Technology and earned her Bachelor of Science degree. From there she built a career managing restaurants and was the General Manager for years at a corporate restaurant. As she grew increasingly disheartened with the industry, Bryant wanted a change. A friend from roller derby, a firefighter/ paramedic for Hillsborough County, asked Bryant if she’d ever thought of being in the fire service – she hadn’t.

In honor of National Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 6 – Oct. 12), we sat down with the Lakeland Fire Department’s Fire Chief Douglas Riley and Assistant Fire Chief of Administration Rick Hartzog to talk about a few changes they’ve implemented within the department. These changes have addressed occupational cancer prevention, mental wellness, health and fitness, and firefighter safety. In a few short years, the entire culture of the Fire Service has evolved. Cultural evolution isn

Born in Mexico, Sergio Lopez-Sanchez came to the States when he was three years old. He grew up in Polk County, spending most of that time in Winter Haven. The now 28-year-old remembers the moment he knew he wanted to be a firefighter, saying, “Back when I was in high school, in the area that I live there happened to be a structure fire – a house burning – and I saw the crews coming in and fighting the fire and I thought that was something I would want to consider when I grow

First, a big ‘thank you’ to the men and women of the Winter Haven Fire Department not only for their service but also for being so gracious with their time and giving us a glimpse into their world. Over the past several weeks, they gave us a tour of the station, took our editor up about 9 stories on their truck’s ladder, and let us ride along on a call. Talking with the first responders who put their lives at risk, spend 24-hours at a time away from their families, and work r

Since childhood, Lieutenant/ EMT Charlie Robles has been drawn to his profession. After joining the fire service, he came across a paper he’d done in kindergarten describing what he wanted to be when he grew up – a firefighter. Robles was born in Connecticut and moved to Florida twentysomething years ago. He wasn’t focused on firefighting until a friend of his talked him into going to school for it with him. He first became an EMT and then went through his Fire Standards. He

For 24-year-old, Winter Haven native Jessica Spell, being a Firefighter/ Paramedic is more than a job – it’s her whole life. Her reasons for joining and even her activities outside of work all center around the people she helps on a daily basis. Aside from “mom-ing a lot” when she isn’t on shift at the fire station, Spell works at a hospital as a paramedic in the ER. She looks at her position in the hospital as a way to stay proficient in the medical aspect of her firefightin