ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Jason Wheat has answered the calls of residents as an Orange County Fire Department emergency medical technician for 16 years.

Lately he’s been the one making the calls for help — to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

What You Need To Know

  • Orange County fire EMT does not want to get a COVID vaccination

  • Jason Wheat says he had COVID 15 months ago and still has antibodies

  • County Mayor Jerry Demings has issued an order requiring vaccinations

  • Gov. Ron DeSantis has vowed to fine the county over its vaccine mandate

  • The U.S. government is considering a mandate for some businesses, too

“I am not anti-vaccine,” Wheat said. “I am not against people getting the vaccine, it's personal choice.”

Wheat says he had COVID-19 15 months ago but had very mild symptoms. According to a test he took three weeks ago, it showed he still had antibodies in his system.

“To me, I feel that with the research that is out there, I don’t want the vaccine for myself, but for others, it is OK,” Wheat said.

County Mayor Jerry Demings, however, put out an internal order over the summer for county employees to get fully vaccinated by Sept. 30.

With President Joe Biden’s new vaccine order, private companies with 100 or more employees will need to meet coming Labor Department rules that are expected to require vaccinations or have employees tested regularly.

“There are certain mandates,” Demings said. “We intend to follow whatever lawful directives are put in place.”

Between the president, the county mayor, and the governor, however, the rules of what employers can do is all over the place.

“It’s a bit more frustrating because we are on the front lines,” Wheat says. “We have been doing this since day one. We have been doing it without a vaccine. We do it without any hesitation because that is what we do. We serve the public.”

Currently, 72% of all Orange County employees have had one or more shots, but new threats from the governor could result in fines to the county for every employee fired for not getting vaccinated.

Demings says the county will look at whatever directive DeSantis puts out and consider Orange County’s legal options.

Wheat says he just wants to keep his freedom of choice.

“Just give us informed consent of what we want to do with our bodies,” he said.

Biden has tasked the Occupational Safety and Health Administration with creating the standard for workplace conditions when it comes to vaccinations and testing. That could take OHSA a month or two to complete.​