ORLANDO, Fla. – At Orlando Fire Department’s Fire Station 2 — also known as “Pride of Parramore” — Lt. Ron Huguenin keeps his approach simple: “Putting the people first.”
After 19 years of service as a firefighter and paramedic for the City of Orlando, that mindset has now earned him one of the highest honors in the state, Professional Firefighters of the Year award.
The award is one of the most competitive and prestigious honors in the entire state, as thousands of nominations pour in from across Florida.
However, the Florida State Fire Marshall’s Office and Gov. Ron DeSantis recognize only one firefighter who exceeds their requirements, while demonstrating commitment to their community, leadership, courage and overall excellence.
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Huguenin, who had no idea he was nominated for the award, walked in to quite the surprise at work when he found out a few weeks ago, but what’s not surprising, he says, is the training that he credits for his success.
“That’s one of the things Orlando FD is known for: their training. The people who came before me, they set the standard for us to follow.” he said.
That standard prepares his department for more than battling fires too. While that’s one of the more dangerous calls they respond to, Huguenin’s team is often called to advanced life support emergencies, hazardous materials situations, dive rescues and high-angle rescues.
Any numbers of those calls could happen in a regular work day, though that’s not the only job the he has. He also balances his time as a member of the Florida State Guard which deploys first responders during disasters.
“There’s never a dull moment,” he says both at work and beyond the badge.
As a busy father of two, Huguenin explained how hard he strives to set a great example for his toughest bosses, aka his daughters, which is all the more reason why the award means so much. “As parents we all want to set the right example.”
The official award ceremony for the 2026 Florida Professional Firefighter of the Year will happen on March 2 in Tallahassee.