The new Walton County Fire Rescue fire marshal emphasizes community outreach

By Wendy O. Dixon

When he was 19 years old, Jeremy Radney went on a ride-along with the Walton County
Fire Rescue (WCFR). As a civilian, witnessing the emergency crew helping people in an
automobile accident was a life changing experience for him. “The wreck was pretty bad,” he says. “Being able to help, I was hooked from that moment.”

He’s since worked up the ranks, and is the new fire marshal at WCFR, a full-service rescue
agency responsible for providing fire suppression and fire prevention services and
emergency medical services for the unincorporated areas of Walton County north of Choctawhatchee Bay and the City of Freeport.

The position of fire marshal was a position created for Radney, as the districts north of the bay had not had such a position. Radney was listed among the 40 Under 40 award winners by United Way Emerald Coast in 2021. “That was awesome,” he says. “I was reallysurprised about that.”

Services at WCFR include emergency medical services, fire and a new educational outreach
program on home fire safety and prevention, with more programs coming in the future.
“We’re also in charge of making sure buildings are up to fire and safety codes,” he says. “For
example, if a building that was previously a grocery store is converted into a church, there
are different codes for each of those types of occupancy. If we don’t check on it, people’s
lives could be in danger. Life safety codes are written because some citizen or firefighter
has lost their lives in the past, and we want to prevent that from happening again.”

Radney says any local resident is welcome to visit the fire station for a tour. “We have new ladder truck tours,” he says. “Freeport has a 75-foot ladder truck available to see at any time. Crews are at the station 24/7, so we welcome people to come check it out to see what we do.”

The WCFR also has a ride-along program for those who would like to see what a day is like
for firefighters and paramedics. People ages 18 and older can take a ride in an ambulance
or fire engine. “We have a cadet program in schools for grades 8 through 12, where
students learn about fire and EMS. Then they can become certified by the time they
graduate and have a job when they’re done.”

If you’d like to test your skills, strength and stamina while supporting veterans, the Heroes for Heroes Firefighter Challenge is just for you. The challenge will be held Veterans Day weekend, Nov. 8 and 9, at the Windmills of Hammock Bay in Freeport. All proceeds go to
Fisher House of the Emerald Coast, Inc. Kids can enjoy bounce houses, face painting and a smaller version of heroes challenge. To register, go to https://waltonso.org/firefighter-

challenge/