Anthony Rios, who holds three degrees from the University of Central Florida (UCF), has been appointed as the new chief of Orange County Fire Rescue Department (OCFRD). Rios, a graduate of UCF’s School of Public Administration, now leads the largest fire and rescue department in Central Florida and the 26th largest in the United States. The department serves nearly 1.5 million residents and accommodates over 75 million visitors each year.
Rios brings nearly thirty years of public service experience to his new role, having worked in corrections, law enforcement, and fire services. He has held numerous field and executive positions within OCFRD prior to this appointment.
Reflecting on his education at UCF, Rios said: “It was an invaluable experience at UCF. A lot of my focus through my education was relevant to what we experience here in local government. Everything that I’ve done academically has been building on my knowledge and ability as a practitioner in the field of public safety policy, and it absolutely added a needed perspective as I became a producer of information within the domain of public safety.”
OCFRD responds to various emergencies such as fires, technical rescues, hazardous materials incidents, pre-hospital care needs, and engages with the community regularly. Rios emphasized adaptability within public safety: “One of the strengths within the public safety community is our ability to adapt to the challenges faced by our community,” he said. “As fire chief, my top priority is the safety and well-being of our citizens, visitors and firefighters. … Close to three decades ago, Florida adopted me — specifically Orlando and Orange County — so this is my way to give back to the community.”
Rios aims to continue professional development within OCFRD by promoting employee education and training programs. He also plans to strengthen partnerships with other first responder agencies and law enforcement while focusing on disaster preparedness strategies for natural events like hurricanes.
“As a leading fire department, we create opportunities to address these challenges by refining how we perform our core responsibilities,” he said. “At the same time, we explore how to propel the future of the fire service by embracing innovation and technology.”
The department maintains daily contact with both citizens and law enforcement partners. During hurricane season in Central Florida, OCFRD prioritizes training for response and recovery efforts as well as prevention strategies.
“We live in a state where natural disasters are prevalent,” Rios said. “There’s a lot of training and effort that goes into preparing for every hurricane season. Not only do we prepare for the response and recovery, but we also focus on mitigation: How do we prevent catastrophic events from happening year after year? It’s a yearlong focus on how we improve the condition and the quality of life for our citizens.”
Protecting firefighter health is another key concern for Rios. According to data from federal health agencies such as the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH), firefighters face higher risks than average for cancer diagnosis or death due to their occupational exposures (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/firefighters/health.html).
“I am committed to finding solutions within the fire industry, starting here with Orange County Fire Rescue, to reduce the level of carcinogen exposures that firefighters experience because of the inherent job that they have,” he said. “Many people may not know … firefighters are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer-related illnesses.”
Mental health support remains an additional priority for OCFRD staff under Rios’ leadership. Research published in journals like Occupational Health Psychology shows about one-fifth of firefighters or paramedics may develop post-traumatic stress disorder during their careers (https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/ocp). To address this need locally, OCFRD collaborates with UCF RESTORES on trauma treatment research initiatives as well as peer mental health support training.
“Our firefighters are constantly involved in individuals’ worst nightmares: They live them on a daily basis,” Rios said. “So, we owe it to them — in order to have an operational workforce that is ready to respond to the community’s needs — to focus on the well-being and the mental health of our employees.”
Rios credits his academic background at UCF with helping him prepare for these responsibilities at one of America’s largest metropolitan fire departments.
