SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A new class of men and women are training to join the ranks of the Seminole County Fire Department, and more and more of the recruits are coming from a military background.

For the first time, nearly a third of the new class of recruits are military veterans.

Robert Garcia says he’s building a brotherhood much like what he had in the military, a group that will help him launch a career as a first responder.

“Just knowing that I have these brothers behind me and that I have this tight knit family makes being able to do a job that’s hectic and distraught as this one, it makes being able to do it a lot easier and it makes me that much more passionate about it,” said Garcia.

Garcia is one of 27 new recruits training to join the Seminole County Fire Department.

He’s one of 8 veterans in the class.  Garcia says his drive to protect the safety of others was drilled into him in the military.

“I just have that in the back of my head all of the time, and that’s been drilled into me since boot camp – having the thought of others before the thought of yourself,” said Garcia.

Garcia, who served about four years as a U.S. Marine, decided to leave the military for new challenges.  He’s from south Florida, and after the condo collapse in Surfside, he raised two-thousand dollars for the families of victims there.  He also brought supplies to first responders who were working in grueling conditions at the collapse site during rescue and recovery operations.  He says he felt out of place not being on the front lines of that response.

“There’s a lot of difficulty that comes with this job, and that’s why it takes a special person, and I’m willing to train,” said Garcia.

“I don’t think that I have all that’s there and that’s needed to do this job, but I definitely do have the work ethic and the will to do what it takes.”

SCFD Battalian Chief Jason Moore, the department’s chief recruiter, says veterans have always been a great match for the department.

“When we’re in a life or death situation we need things to be done quickly, efficiently and without too many questions,” said Moore.

“They’ve already got that rank structure and that chain of command involved in them.  It works out really well for us.”

Garcia is looking forward to continuing his service, now to the people of Seminole County.

“Being able to grow as a person, but being able to help people in the process - there’s not a lot of jobs out there that you’re able to do that,” said Garcia.

“And that’s why people will tell you that this is one of the best jobs in the world.”

While more veterans are joining the fire department, there are already many in the ranks.  About 10% of SCFD’s firefighters are already veterans.