Orlando Fire Department Lt. Ron Huguenin named Florida’s Professional Firefighter of the Year awardee

A state-level honor for an Orlando veteran firefighter and paramedic

An Orlando Fire Department lieutenant with nearly two decades in uniform has been selected for Florida’s Professional Firefighter of the Year recognition, an annual statewide distinction presented through the state fire service leadership and the governor’s office.

Lt. Ron Huguenin, a firefighter and paramedic assigned to Orlando Fire Department Fire Station 2 in the Parramore area, was notified in recent weeks that he had been chosen for the 2026 honor. The formal ceremony is scheduled for March 2, 2026, in Tallahassee.

What the award is and who presents it

The Professional Firefighter of the Year designation is structured as a single-recipient statewide award, selecting one firefighter from nominations submitted across Florida. The recognition is coordinated through state-level fire leadership and is typically presented at the Capitol during the legislative session period, when statewide public-safety agencies and officials convene in Tallahassee.

The presentation is expected to involve Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Blaise Ingoglia, whose office includes the Division of State Fire Marshal. The CFO position oversees statewide fire prevention and investigative functions and frequently participates in state fire-service awards and recognitions tied to those responsibilities.

Huguenin’s role in Orlando and the work the station handles

Huguenin’s day-to-day work reflects the breadth of modern municipal firefighting in a rapidly growing metro area. In addition to structural fire responses, Orlando fire crews regularly manage advanced life support medical emergencies, hazardous materials incidents, dive rescues and high-angle rescues. Those specialized calls can occur alongside routine emergency medical service activity, which remains a significant portion of many urban fire departments’ workload.

Huguenin has also served in the Florida State Guard, a state emergency support organization that can deploy personnel during disasters. That role places trained responders into surge operations when major storms or other emergencies strain local capabilities.

Selection factors highlighted by the announcement

Statewide firefighter honors generally evaluate a combination of leadership, sustained performance, service to the community, and professional standards over time, rather than a single incident alone. In Huguenin’s case, the announcement surrounding the award emphasized long-term commitment, leadership within the fire service and a community-focused approach to the job.

• Recipient: Orlando Fire Department Lt. Ron Huguenin
• Service background: Firefighter and paramedic with 19 years in the City of Orlando
• Location: Fire Station 2 in Parramore
• State ceremony date: March 2, 2026
• Setting: Tallahassee

The statewide honor places a single Orlando firefighter among Florida’s most visible public-safety recognitions for 2026, with the presentation timed to the Capitol’s annual legislative-season schedule.

The March ceremony is expected to formally recognize Huguenin’s work in front of state leaders and members of Florida’s fire-service community, highlighting a local career shaped by emergency medicine, technical rescue readiness and disaster response capacity.