Polk County program opens doors to diversity in public safety careers

BARTOW, Fla. — A program in Polk County is continuing to drive diversity in public safety. 

The Proactive Diversity Recruitment and Training Program, which started in 2005, recently marked its 20 years of service to the community.

If you asked program coordinator Kelly Rucker where she’d be 12 years ago, she said she wouldn’t have been able to tell you.

“I had no idea, no direction as to what I was going to do,” she said. “As a mother of two daughters at the time, I was really kind of just surviving.”

That was until she learned about the Proactive Diversity Recruitment and Training Program. She quickly applied and worked her way up to becoming a firefighter medic.

“The experience going through the program was very difficult,” she said. “To get selected, you have to pass a series of tests, agility exams, different trainings you’re really never exposed to.”

Rucker said the experience also opened her eyes to opportunities that, as a Black and Hispanic woman, she didn’t think were available.

Today, the program assists economically disadvantaged residents pursuing a career in public safety, regardless of race or gender. But Joe Halman, a former deputy county manager of public safety, said it originally started in 2005 to help diversify the industry.

“At the time, minority representation was very slim,” Halman said. “Maybe one, two. And a group of community leaders, who were a part of the community relations advisory council, started asking questions about representation and fire rescue.”

After gaining inspiration from Alachua County’s diversity program, Polk County later adopted its own. Since then, Halman said minority representation within fire rescue has grown significantly.

“We have a lot of minorities apply who want to become firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and has strengthened our department,” he said. “Quite frankly, I’ll be honest with you, it has made us better today than ever.”

Rucker said she’s proud to be a part of that trend. And now, as the program’s coordinator, she gets to inspire the next generation to do the same.

“These kids need to see women of color; they need to see things like that in positions that are respected so that they know it is a possibility,” she said. “And it doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter your past, or if you were a single mom of two kids, or if at the time you were economically disadvantaged.”

Qualified residents can join the Proactive Diversity Recruitment and Training Program at no cost. Students also receive benefits and an hourly wage while completing classes.