ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Several Orange County firefighters say they’re still against the county’s vaccine mandate even after Mayor Jerry Demings says they’ll be given a written reprimand, not fired.


What You Need To Know

  •  Firefighter says he's against Orange County's vaccine mandate

  •  Jason Wheat, a firefighter and paramedic, doesn't believe he should be reprimanded for not getting the vaccine

  • Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said the mandate it to keep firefighters, county residents safe

​The deadline to meet the mandate is only a week away.

Jason Wheat, an Orange County firefighter and paramedic, said he and others are not doing anything wrong by not getting vaccinated so they shouldn’t be punished. Wheat is also a former Florida firefighter of the year and a U.S. Army Medic. 

“To us it’s still a form of discipline, and it’s still omitting that we’re doing something wrong and that is our main goal that we’re doing something wrong,” he said. “We’re not doing anything wrong.”

Demings has reiterated his message that the mandate is an effort to keep firefighters and county residents safe.

“The county is offering a 'cap' on the disciplinary actions for those that choose not to comply with the mandate,” Demings said in his weekly COVID-19 briefing Thursday. “I want to be clear — it was never my intention to terminate anyone from employment. I very much respect the input we’ve heard from employees who were fearful of losing their jobs.

"We advised the fire fighters union that the county would discipline non-compliant employees only to the point of a written reprimand. We are a compassionate and caring employer, but we must also balance that with protecting our employees and the public."

Wheat believes a reprimand can still impact a firefighter’s employment status and chance at promotion.

“A reprimand is a disciplinary action and it can lead up to termination, which is what we’re fighting for in the first place,” he said.

Wheat is currently unvaccinated and therefore not in compliance with the vaccine mandate.

“I had COVID 15 months ago and I didn’t have any symptoms at all,” he said. “The only reason I knew I had COVID was I tested positive when I had an elective surgery for my shoulder. I actually got my blood tested a month ago and I still have the antibodies. For me the vaccine is not necessary.”

When Spectrum News reached out to the Orange County government to find out if a person’s vaccination status will be taken into consideration when making a future hire, a spokesperson said they’re speaking with their Human Resources department about that issue. Meanwhile, Wheat and other firefighters across the state will join nurses and Disney workers for a rally against the mandate at Disney World on Sunday.

A similar vaccine mandate was removed in Gainesville after a Circuit Court judge ruled against the city. The judge stated the city shouldn’t enforce it, nor can it discipline it’s employees based on their vaccination status.