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COCOA, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis has signed Florida’s new state budget, and inside it is a $640,000 appropriation to establish a firefighting program at Cocoa High School, creating a direct pathway for students to enter one of Brevard County’s most critical and in-demand professions.
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The new program will be just the second high school firefighting academy in Brevard County, joining the fire academy at Palm Bay Magnet High School, which opened in 2022. The Cocoa High academy expands career and technical education opportunities while helping address workforce shortages among local fire departments and emergency response agencies across the Space Coast.
The appropriation was sponsored by Senator Debbie Mayfield and Representative Tyler Sirois as a fixed capital outlay project in the state’s General Appropriations Act. The funding will support construction of specialized training space and the purchase of equipment needed to launch the program.
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Notably, the Cocoa High money is one of the Brevard line items that survived the Governor’s veto pen. DeSantis signed the $117.6 billion budget on Monday after issuing roughly $1.6 billion in vetoes statewide, including about $800 million in direct spending that lawmakers had requested for their districts.
A direct path into a high-demand career
“Preparing students for high-demand careers is at the heart of our commitment to every child in Brevard,” said Dr. Mark Rendell, Superintendent of Brevard Public Schools. “This program gives Cocoa High students a direct path to a respected, good-paying profession while strengthening our community by helping train the first responders our neighborhoods will depend on for years to come.”
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Students enrolled in the program will gain hands-on experience, industry-relevant training, and opportunities to earn certifications that prepare them for careers in firefighting and emergency services after graduation. Those credentials can feed directly into postgraduate programs such as the Fire Training Academy at Eastern Florida State College in Palm Bay, which trains firefighters for all 13 municipal fire departments in Brevard County and for Brevard County Fire Rescue.
District leaders anticipate the academy will serve not only Cocoa High students but also students from across Brevard County who are interested in pursuing careers in public safety. The program is expected to raise Cocoa High School’s profile as a destination for career-focused education while supporting enrollment growth.
Part of a broader CTE push
The new firefighting program reflects Brevard Public Schools’ ongoing effort to expand Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities that connect classroom instruction with real-world career pathways. Through partnerships with industry leaders, public agencies, and community organizations, the district continues to develop programs aligned with local workforce needs.
“Career and Technical Education is transforming lives by giving students access to pathways that lead directly to rewarding careers,” Dr. Rendell said. “This investment creates opportunities for students while helping meet an important need in our community.”
The Cocoa High School Firefighting Program is expected to begin following the completion of facility enhancements and equipment acquisition made possible through the state funding. No firm launch date has been announced.
Brevard Public Schools serves more than 70,000 students across Florida’s Space Coast and has earned an “A” district grade from the Florida Department of Education for two consecutive years.
