The City of Hialeah Fire Department provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, and rescue operations to a densely populated urban community in South Florida. The department operates multiple fire stations staffed by firefighter-paramedics and EMTs who respond to a high call volume using the Incident Command System. Through continuous training, fire prevention efforts, and mutual aid partnerships, the department remains prepared to protect life, property, and public safety throughout the City of Hialeah.
Before everyone else chimes in with some wild takes, I’ll throw in my two cents.
If you’re thinking about coming to Hialeah, I’ll start with the good. One thing I’ve noticed is that nobody is ever really happy to leave this place. Sure, they’re happy about making more money somewhere else, but they always end up missing the atmosphere and the culture we have here. It’s honestly 10/10 and probably one of the last departments that still has that old-school firefighter culture.
You come to work, nobody’s breathing down your neck or micromanaging every little thing. Just do your job and handle your business. The guys are loyal, they don’t look for reasons to throw each other under the bus, and everyone has each other’s backs. You can screw up here and you’ll get your chops busted, but at the end of the day you’re still one of us. Administration stays out of our way, and we stay out of theirs. Could they do a better job of listening to what the guys have to say? Absolutely. But hey, nobody’s perfect. The same guys who are going to come after me and say something out of pocket aren’t perfect either, so whatever.
Now I’ll get into the cons of this department, and at the end of the day it all comes down to money.
We got our asses handed to us by the last couple of mayoral administrations, and it’s probably going to take another 20 years to undo the damage that was done — and that’s being hopeful. That’s assuming we don’t get another administration that comes in and does the same thing all over again.
I’ll go ahead and throw the name out there: Carlos Hernandez. A lot of people feel his administration decimated this city. They squeezed every last drop out of Hialeah that they could. Eminent domain was used against citizens in West Hialeah, and now him and some other former mayors are among the biggest property owners in the city. Go figure.
They stripped pensions, stripped departments, and cut resources anywhere they could. Fleet services, parks and recreation — nothing was safe. And now we’re the ones paying for it.
Our pensions are carrying who knows how much in unfunded liability. Our pay is behind surrounding departments by probably more than 30%. We’re dealing with two different pension systems, and every one of these issues creates another hurdle when it comes to attracting and retaining people.
The frustrating part is that the guys on the street are the ones who have to live with the consequences of decisions made years ago. We’re trying to provide a professional service while working through the financial mess left behind. It’s hard to move this department into the future when the budgets have stayed stagnant while the cost of everything around us keeps going up.
Good luck trying to do your job efficiently when you request the supplies and equipment you need, only to get told, “Maybe after the new fiscal year.” This department has a habit of kicking the can down the road. The mindset sometimes feels like, “Why fix it right the first time when you can do it cheaper and end up fixing it twice?”
You take a truck to fleet, and it comes back held together with tape and bubble gum, only for the same issues to come back again — or worse, new problems develop.
Trying to build something like a competition team or any extra program becomes difficult because the guys are already stretched thin. They’re working overtime just to make ends meet, studying for promotions to make ends meet, or trying to get out to another department to make ends meet.
And honestly, like beaten dogs, we’re hesitant to get excited about new ideas because we’ve seen how things go. There’s always that feeling in the back of your mind that the program will eventually get cut or disbanded because of funding issues.
It’s frustrating because this department has tremendous potential. The talent is here, the people are here, and the culture is here — but we’re stuck in first gear.
That being said, the overtime situation is what’s keeping a lot of people afloat right now. Everyone is doing okay financially, but the reality is they’re doing it by working themselves into the ground, sacrificing sleep, and burning the candle at both ends. C’est la vie, mother****ers.
I’ve been here about 10 years, and I don’t really plan on going anywhere. You learn to make the most out of it. Get a side hustle, build something outside of work, enjoy your life — none of us are making it out alive anyway.
At the end of the day, one of the biggest positives about this place is that you can actually come to work and enjoy being here. You can enjoy the clowns you work with, the brotherhood, and the culture we have. That’s something a lot of departments have lost, and it’s something you can’t put a price on.
Just don’t come here for the money, and don’t come here expecting everything to run perfectly. You’ll probably be disappointed.
But if you’re looking for a place where you can work with good people, have a family around you, and be part of something that still feels like a real fire department — this place is a gold mine.
C’est la vie, mother****ers.
I’ve been here about 10 years, and I don’t really plan on going anywhere. You learn to make the most out of it. Get a side hustle, build something outside of work, enjoy your life — none of us are making it out alive anyway.
At the end of the day, one of the biggest positives about this place is that you can actually come to work and enjoy being here. You can enjoy the clowns you work with, the brotherhood, and the culture we have. That’s something a lot of departments have lost, and it’s something you can’t put a price on.
Just don’t come here for the money, and don’t come here expecting everything to run perfectly. You’ll probably be disappointed.
But if you’re looking for a place where you can work with good people, have a family around you, and be part of something that still feels like a real fire department — this place is a gold mine.
We’re severely understaffed, and the problem isn’t because people are leaving faster than we can replace them, it’s because people simply aren’t applying. There aren’t enough paramedics who want to come work here. As a result, the department has started hiring EMTs just to try to fill positions. But two EMTs can’t staff an ALS rescue truck. You still need paramedics, and without enough of them, the level of care available to the public is affected. Despite that, our crews continue to find ways to provide the best care possible with the resources we have.
Our trucks are worn down and constantly in need of repair, but we make them work. Morale is at an all-time low because of poor leadership, a lack of support from management, and a city that continues to fall behind on taking care of its firefighters and paramedics.
The trend seems to be the same every time someone gets hired. They come in excited, motivated, and hungry to learn. They want to make the department better and build a career they can be proud of. Then, as time goes on, they begin to understand why so many people have become disgruntled. That excitement slowly fades because nothing ever seems to change.
Leadership often seems more concerned with uniforms, appearances, and fixing minor issues that create the illusion everything is fine rather than addressing the problems that actually matter. Meanwhile, the major issues continue to pile up.
Mayors come and go, but it often feels like the priorities stay the same. They do what they can during their time in office for their own agenda and move on, while the firefighters and paramedics who continue serving this city are left dealing with the same unresolved problems. The people who take care of this community deserve leaders who invest in them, not just short-term fixes.
The biggest issue isn’t just recruitment, it’s retention. When firefighters and paramedics see neighboring departments paying significantly more, providing better equipment, offering stronger staffing, and giving their employees the support they need to succeed, it’s no surprise they leave. Police and fire have become revolving doors because people use departments like this as stepping stones to agencies where they can build a long-term career. Small fixes here and there aren’t enough to keep experienced people, and every time another seasoned firefighter or paramedic leaves, the department loses valuable knowledge and experience while the staffing crisis grows even worse.
Most of us didn’t choose this profession because we expected to get rich. We chose it because we wanted to serve our community. But when you’re doing the exact same job as firefighters and paramedics in neighboring departments while earning less, getting stuck working more holidays, covering extra hours because of chronic staffing shortages, and dealing with poor leadership that sometimes prioritizes public relations over supporting its own personnel, it wears on you.
Despite all of that, our people continue to show up every shift and give everything they have for this community. We continue answering the calls, solving problems, and doing the job because that’s who we are.
The public deserves better. The firefighters and paramedics who serve them deserve better.
The only thing that’s truly consistent around here is the inconsistency in how this department is run.
Rating Breakdown
2.5/5
3/5
1/5
1.5/5
2 Reviews on “City of Hialeah Fire Dept”
Before everyone else chimes in with some wild takes, I’ll throw in my two cents.
If you’re thinking about coming to Hialeah, I’ll start with the good. One thing I’ve noticed is that nobody is ever really happy to leave this place. Sure, they’re happy about making more money somewhere else, but they always end up missing the atmosphere and the culture we have here. It’s honestly 10/10 and probably one of the last departments that still has that old-school firefighter culture.
You come to work, nobody’s breathing down your neck or micromanaging every little thing. Just do your job and handle your business. The guys are loyal, they don’t look for reasons to throw each other under the bus, and everyone has each other’s backs. You can screw up here and you’ll get your chops busted, but at the end of the day you’re still one of us. Administration stays out of our way, and we stay out of theirs. Could they do a better job of listening to what the guys have to say? Absolutely. But hey, nobody’s perfect. The same guys who are going to come after me and say something out of pocket aren’t perfect either, so whatever.
Now I’ll get into the cons of this department, and at the end of the day it all comes down to money.
We got our asses handed to us by the last couple of mayoral administrations, and it’s probably going to take another 20 years to undo the damage that was done — and that’s being hopeful. That’s assuming we don’t get another administration that comes in and does the same thing all over again.
I’ll go ahead and throw the name out there: Carlos Hernandez. A lot of people feel his administration decimated this city. They squeezed every last drop out of Hialeah that they could. Eminent domain was used against citizens in West Hialeah, and now him and some other former mayors are among the biggest property owners in the city. Go figure.
They stripped pensions, stripped departments, and cut resources anywhere they could. Fleet services, parks and recreation — nothing was safe. And now we’re the ones paying for it.
Our pensions are carrying who knows how much in unfunded liability. Our pay is behind surrounding departments by probably more than 30%. We’re dealing with two different pension systems, and every one of these issues creates another hurdle when it comes to attracting and retaining people.
The frustrating part is that the guys on the street are the ones who have to live with the consequences of decisions made years ago. We’re trying to provide a professional service while working through the financial mess left behind. It’s hard to move this department into the future when the budgets have stayed stagnant while the cost of everything around us keeps going up.
Good luck trying to do your job efficiently when you request the supplies and equipment you need, only to get told, “Maybe after the new fiscal year.” This department has a habit of kicking the can down the road. The mindset sometimes feels like, “Why fix it right the first time when you can do it cheaper and end up fixing it twice?”
You take a truck to fleet, and it comes back held together with tape and bubble gum, only for the same issues to come back again — or worse, new problems develop.
Trying to build something like a competition team or any extra program becomes difficult because the guys are already stretched thin. They’re working overtime just to make ends meet, studying for promotions to make ends meet, or trying to get out to another department to make ends meet.
And honestly, like beaten dogs, we’re hesitant to get excited about new ideas because we’ve seen how things go. There’s always that feeling in the back of your mind that the program will eventually get cut or disbanded because of funding issues.
It’s frustrating because this department has tremendous potential. The talent is here, the people are here, and the culture is here — but we’re stuck in first gear.
That being said, the overtime situation is what’s keeping a lot of people afloat right now. Everyone is doing okay financially, but the reality is they’re doing it by working themselves into the ground, sacrificing sleep, and burning the candle at both ends. C’est la vie, mother****ers.
I’ve been here about 10 years, and I don’t really plan on going anywhere. You learn to make the most out of it. Get a side hustle, build something outside of work, enjoy your life — none of us are making it out alive anyway.
At the end of the day, one of the biggest positives about this place is that you can actually come to work and enjoy being here. You can enjoy the clowns you work with, the brotherhood, and the culture we have. That’s something a lot of departments have lost, and it’s something you can’t put a price on.
Just don’t come here for the money, and don’t come here expecting everything to run perfectly. You’ll probably be disappointed.
But if you’re looking for a place where you can work with good people, have a family around you, and be part of something that still feels like a real fire department — this place is a gold mine.
C’est la vie, mother****ers.
I’ve been here about 10 years, and I don’t really plan on going anywhere. You learn to make the most out of it. Get a side hustle, build something outside of work, enjoy your life — none of us are making it out alive anyway.
At the end of the day, one of the biggest positives about this place is that you can actually come to work and enjoy being here. You can enjoy the clowns you work with, the brotherhood, and the culture we have. That’s something a lot of departments have lost, and it’s something you can’t put a price on.
Just don’t come here for the money, and don’t come here expecting everything to run perfectly. You’ll probably be disappointed.
But if you’re looking for a place where you can work with good people, have a family around you, and be part of something that still feels like a real fire department — this place is a gold mine.
I honestly don’t know where to begin.
We’re severely understaffed, and the problem isn’t because people are leaving faster than we can replace them, it’s because people simply aren’t applying. There aren’t enough paramedics who want to come work here. As a result, the department has started hiring EMTs just to try to fill positions. But two EMTs can’t staff an ALS rescue truck. You still need paramedics, and without enough of them, the level of care available to the public is affected. Despite that, our crews continue to find ways to provide the best care possible with the resources we have.
Our trucks are worn down and constantly in need of repair, but we make them work. Morale is at an all-time low because of poor leadership, a lack of support from management, and a city that continues to fall behind on taking care of its firefighters and paramedics.
The trend seems to be the same every time someone gets hired. They come in excited, motivated, and hungry to learn. They want to make the department better and build a career they can be proud of. Then, as time goes on, they begin to understand why so many people have become disgruntled. That excitement slowly fades because nothing ever seems to change.
Leadership often seems more concerned with uniforms, appearances, and fixing minor issues that create the illusion everything is fine rather than addressing the problems that actually matter. Meanwhile, the major issues continue to pile up.
Mayors come and go, but it often feels like the priorities stay the same. They do what they can during their time in office for their own agenda and move on, while the firefighters and paramedics who continue serving this city are left dealing with the same unresolved problems. The people who take care of this community deserve leaders who invest in them, not just short-term fixes.
The biggest issue isn’t just recruitment, it’s retention. When firefighters and paramedics see neighboring departments paying significantly more, providing better equipment, offering stronger staffing, and giving their employees the support they need to succeed, it’s no surprise they leave. Police and fire have become revolving doors because people use departments like this as stepping stones to agencies where they can build a long-term career. Small fixes here and there aren’t enough to keep experienced people, and every time another seasoned firefighter or paramedic leaves, the department loses valuable knowledge and experience while the staffing crisis grows even worse.
Most of us didn’t choose this profession because we expected to get rich. We chose it because we wanted to serve our community. But when you’re doing the exact same job as firefighters and paramedics in neighboring departments while earning less, getting stuck working more holidays, covering extra hours because of chronic staffing shortages, and dealing with poor leadership that sometimes prioritizes public relations over supporting its own personnel, it wears on you.
Despite all of that, our people continue to show up every shift and give everything they have for this community. We continue answering the calls, solving problems, and doing the job because that’s who we are.
The public deserves better. The firefighters and paramedics who serve them deserve better.
The only thing that’s truly consistent around here is the inconsistency in how this department is run.