Firefighter/paramedic Devin Johnson has been named Plant City Fire Rescue Firefighter of the Year.
His commitment to his profession and relentless pursuit of knowledge has earned him this peer nomination.
Johnson, a Plant City native and graduate of Durant High School, started his career in Polk County Fire Rescue in 2015 before transferring to Plant City Fire Rescue in 2018. In his five years with the department, he proved himself to be a reliable and hardworking firefighter. He pursued the training required to obtain his paramedic certification and became a standalone paramedic in 2021 to better serve citizens with the ability to provide lifesaving care at the highest level. His procedural expertise and natural bedside manner led him to become a paramedic Field Training Officer (FTO) in March 2023 to lead and direct others to achieve the status of standalone paramedic.
Interim Chief Timothy Mossgrove said Johnson’s leadership as Field Training Officer (FTO) in the paramedic internship program is just one example of his efforts to help the department serve the citizens of Plant City. “I am honored that Firefighter/Paramedic Devin Johnson was recognized and nominated by his peers for his dedication to Plant City Fire Rescue by always answering the call when he is asked,” he said. “He is a true public servant and we thank him for his dedication and effort to our department and the community.”
Johnson also never asks of others what he is not willing to do himself. He invested more than 1,000 hours as an FTO in the paramedic internship program this year and worked more than 500 hours of overtime to keep the department running operationally. Stated by his peers, “He always answers the call when he is asked.”
Johnson said the overtime he’s put in is in an effort to prevent mandatory overtime. “We’ve been short-staffed, especially for paramedics, so I’ve been picking up as many shifts as I can because I don’t have kids so others don’t have to cancel plans to come in,” he said.
He feels blessed and honored for his peers to recognize his hard work. “It’s probably the best award you can get when you get nominated by your peers,” said Johnson.