Governor Ron DeSantis Awards Recognition Payments for Florida’s First Responders in Duval County
The Floridant/10245358

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ~ Today, Governor Ron DeSantis visited the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to deliver $1,000 bonuses to first responders in recognition of their dedicated public service. The Governor also announced more than 3,100 recruitment bonuses awarded to new law enforcement officers through the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program.

The Governor expressed his appreciation for the first responders and their commitment to serving their communities. "While other states are busy defunding their police, hiring non-citizens and kneecapping their local economies, in Florida we choose to reward our first responders for their service," said Governor DeSantis.

Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly also shared his support for the program. "FloridaCommerce is proud to share in Governor DeSantis' commitment to our first responders by administering the Essential First Responder Recognition Payment Program for a third year and the Law Enforcement Recognition Bonus Payment Program for a second year," said Kelly. "We are proud to be a law-and-order state under the Governor's Freedom First policies, and we recognize Florida's first responders for the difficult work they do each day to support their communities."

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Since July 2021, more than $213,673,000 has been awarded to Florida's first responders through the First Responder Recognition Bonus Program. On October 18th 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis visited Sanibel Island to hand deliver $1,000 recognition payments to first responders in areas impacted by Hurricane Ian. Eligible recipients of these bonus payments are sworn law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians, firefighters and paramedics employed by a local government throughout the state.

Since November 2022, more than $21,124,610 million has been awarded through the Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program with 2265 bonuses awarded in its first year alone. This program encourages Floridians to join law enforcement and attracts out-of-state recruits and experienced officers with a $5 000 bonus payment as well as financial stability benefits such as student loan forgiveness programs and home loan programs.

The recognition payments are part of Governor DeSantis' 2023–2024 Framework for Freedom Budget signed earlier this year which has seen 816 law enforcement recruits from 49 states and two U.S territories relocate to Florida including more than 330 from California New York Illinois Pennsylvania and Texas.

For more information about these programs visit www.FloridaJobs.org/Recognition-and-Recruitment

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