Special to the Lake Okeechobee News/Courtesy of GCPS
Firefighter/EMT Scotty Heflin

MOORE HAVEN — Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician Scotty Heflin started his public safety career over 10 years ago as a firefighter volunteering at the Ortona Volunteer Fire Department.

Mr. Heflin said his family inspired him to go in this direction.

“Grandpa gave me $600 to take a fire(fighter) one class in 2007, at Active Fire Training Inc. The following year Glades County offered a fire one class and I took that as a refresher before going on to fire two in 2010.

“After graduation from Fort Myers Fire Academy,” Mr. Heflin continued, “I applied for the next open position as a 40-hour-a-week firefighter, as the second man on the Fire One Crew for Glades County.”

He also attended another Fort Myers institution, then known as Edison Community or State College. That is now Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers.

“I went to Edison, which is now FSW, in 2010 and 2011 for my EMT certification,” said firefighter Heflin.

Then in 2015, he said, “a position as an EMT became available, so I swapped to the ambulance until the fire position became a 24/48 schedule.

“Now, I am back on the fire truck and happy to be part of the first 24/7 fire service for Glades County!” Mr. Heflin said.

He’s based out of the main fire/EMS station in Moore Haven, but under their new schedule and setup, all of Glades County’s firefighters now circulate through the county to all its communities at some point during each month.