The Seminole County Fire Department has called off recruiting visits it had scheduled at area high schools for the rest of November while it waits to learn how Amendment 3 will affect its budget, WFTV reported Friday.
The department's last scheduled outreach event was held Thursday at Seminole State College, according to the station.
Fire Chief Matt Kinley said every position is currently filled except two that were vacant before the hiring freeze, and that residents should not notice any change in emergency response. "The public isn't gonna see any effect to the emergency response that we provide," Kinley told WFTV. "Anything like that that you would see would be years into the future."
More than 500 firefighters staff the department's dozen-plus stations, and officials told the station that most recruits, 60% to 70%, are from Seminole County. "We're a homegrown department," Kinley said, describing a path from Seminole State College into the county's ranks.
The current recruit class has eight students, one of the smallest in years, WFTV reported. For now, officials said, Winter Springs High School's fire program will continue unchanged.
