FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: February 13, 2026
Location: New York, NY
Contact:
Dave Martin
The Good Government Show
646-483-5898
dave.goodgovpodcast@gmail.com
Headline:
From High School to Heroes: Florida County’s Award-Winning Program Tackles First Responder Shortages
Subhead:
Okeechobee County Commissioner Terry Burroughs shares how a rural community is building the next generation of public safety leaders on The Good Government Show
New York, NY — As communities across the country struggle to recruit and retain police officers, firefighters, and emergency responders, one rural Florida county is finding success by investing in its own young people. On the latest episode of The Good Government Show, Okeechobee County Commissioner Terry Burroughs discusses the county’s innovative “High School to Heroes” program — a National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award winner designed to connect local students directly to careers in public safety.
The program introduces high school students to real-world training in emergency services, including firefighting, 911 dispatch, and law enforcement pathways, giving them hands-on experience before graduation. Developed through partnerships with the school system, public safety agencies, and an educational foundation grant, the initiative is helping address workforce shortages while creating new opportunities for local youth to build careers close to home. “If you’re losing your young people out of your community, this is an opportunity to keep them there,” Burroughs said. “It gives them a pathway to a real career in public service.”
For rural counties like Okeechobee, competing with larger cities that offer higher salaries has long made retention a challenge. Burroughs explained that the program helps solve two problems at once: it builds a pipeline of trained candidates for local agencies and gives students a chance to start meaningful careers without leaving the community. Even if some graduates eventually move on, many stay long enough to make a difference — and some put down roots. “They may stay for a year or two, and sometimes they settle down and make a life here,” Burroughs said.
The initiative has already sparked excitement among students and families. Commissioner Burroughs described watching students train in full firefighting gear as parents cheered them on — a moment that showed the program’s impact firsthand. The effort is also part of a broader strategy to create career pathways for young people through technical education programs in fields like construction, mechanics, and welding. “Not everybody wants to go to college,” Burroughs noted. “But they can get certifications, go to work right now, and build a good life.”
Burroughs encouraged other counties to adopt similar models, offering to share what Okeechobee has learned. “Come see us. Come talk to us. We’ll share this program with you,” he said. “The hardest part is finding the right people in your community who have the passion to put it together.” For Burroughs, that passion comes from a simple philosophy about leadership: government works best when it listens and creates opportunity. “Government is complicated and sometimes slow,” he said. “But you can make it more efficient by having the right people and the right mindset.”
Hosted by veteran journalist Dave Martin, The Good Government Show highlights innovative ideas and leaders who are making government work better at every level. The full conversation with Commissioner Terry Burroughs is available now at GoodGovernmentShow.com and on all major podcast platforms.