CORRECTION: The ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 26. We regret the error.
The Apopka Fire Department, in partnership with the 2650 Foundation, will host a special ceremony at Apopka Fire Station 1 on Monday, September 26, at 6 p.m. to award six Apopka firefighters with scholarships to attend a certification course in Vehicle and Machinery Rescue (VMR).
These scholarships have been made possible through the continued efforts and support of the 2650 Foundation, an organization dedicated to honoring the life and legacy of fallen Apopka firefighter Austin Duran.
The award recipients will be engineer Stephen DeMatties, engineer Sean Potter, firefighter EMT Racquel Lopez, firefighter Paramedic Juan Millan, firefighter EMT Danio Perez, andfirefighter EMT Tomas Rodriguez.
This event will include remarks from members of the Duran family and Apopka Interim Fire Chief Wil Sanchez, who will recognize the six scholarship recipients and highlight the importance of continuing education for firefighters while honoring the legacy of Austin Duran and celebrating the impact these scholarships will have on the Apopka Fire Department and the community.
Austin Duran joined the Apopka Fire Department as a Fire Explorer during high school and started working with the department in July 2020.
“As we gather to award these scholarships to members of our Apopka Fire Department family, we will also take this as an opportunity to honor Austin by recommitting ourselves to our calling. Carrying forward his legacy by embodying the same selflessness, dedication, and passion for learning new and vital skills needed to keep our community safe, that he displayed day in and day out,” a news statement from the AFD reads.
VMR certification is an advanced rescue training program that equips firefighters with the critical skills to respond to complex vehicle and machinery rescue scenarios. This training not only enhances the skills of the scholarship recipients but also strengthens the overall safety and preparedness of the Apopka community.
Apopka Fire Department Station 1 is located at 175 E. Fifth St., Apopka.
The Apopka Chief and The Planter are weekly community newspapers, independently owned and family operated, that have served the greater Apopka area in Central Florida since 1923 and 1965 respectively.
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