Florida firefighter comes out of retirement to pursue passion

LAKE MARY, Fla. - A Central Florida firefighter who retired after nearly three decades of service couldn't resist the call to return to duty.  

Dante Farina, 56, retired from the Orlando Fire Department in 2019 after 29 years of service. He recently graduated from new training with the Seminole County Fire Department. 

His spark rekindled after Farina was asked a simple question by a firefighter at another department.

"He asked me if I miss the fire service and I said every day. He says, 'we're running a hiring process, you should apply.' So I went home, spoke with my wife, and she was on board with it," he said.

His wife was also a firefighter for 20 years. But when the 56-year-old applied, he was rejected. "I applied, and I scored in the top 10. They didn’t even touch me, they didn’t want me."

That just lit the fire inside of him even more. Farina was determined to prove he still had what it took.

"So I came back to Seminole County. Where it all started for me."

Farina began his fire career at Seminole County as a volunteer in 1988. They welcomed him back.

"The job is still the same. Still putting wet stuff on the red stuff. Still taking care of people. Dealing with them, the age difference, we’ve been getting along just fine. I’ve been leaning a lot from them, they’ve been learning a lot from me."

It’s a new beginning for a firefighter that already had a decorated career.